Family demand probe after dementia stricken great-grandmother, 89, left with horrific facial injuries after unexplained incident at her £1,400-a-week care home died months later

• WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
• Nancy, 89, had unexplained brusies on her face while at a Glasgow care home
• Her family are still searching for answers about what happened before her death 

The family of a dementia stricken great-grandmother want answers following an unexplained care home incident that left her with serious facial injuries.

Agnes Donnelly, 89, better known as Nancy, passed away just months after an incident left her with a battered and bruised face at the £1,400-a-week Broomfield Court Care Home in Glasgow.  

The home closed down five months following her death from pneumonia in January last year, leaving Nancy’s grieving family searching for answers about what happened.

But Nancy’s son Colin, 65, insists Nancy was neglected and claims the home ‘didn’t care for her in the way they should have done’.

He said: ‘We are still very angry about the awful conditions our mum must have lived in during the last year of her life. The home didn’t care for her the way they should have done. When we visited, we could see she wasn’t clean and she looked like she wasn’t being looked after.’

Nancy, 89, had unexplained brusies on her face while staying at a Glasgow care home

The horrific injuries were first discovered by Nancy’s daughter, Glynn, 69, on a weekly visit in October 2021.

Nancy, who had dementia, was supposed to be checked on regularly by staff, but no employee had reported seeing the bruises prior to Glynn’s visit.

Colin added: ‘When my sister visited and found her with those injuries on her face it was a big shock. But the care home manager told us they didn’t know what had happened to her because nothing was reported.’

The grandmother-of-10 was sent to hospital for a medical assessment where the family claim doctors found a number of other bruises on her frail body before blood tests confirmed she was also dehydrated. 

Since the incident, Larchwood Care has carried out a review of Nancy’s care but later concluded that its investigation only showed ‘failings with communication’.  

The Care Inspectorate, alongside social workers, also launched a joint investigation into the incident.

But the home closed down in June 2022 with Larchwood Care stating it was ‘not financially viable’ to keep it open. 

Colin claims his family were never told the outcome of the investigation and have been left completely in the dark about what happened to their mother. 

Nancy, who was staying at Broomfield Court Care Home, died from pneumonia in 2022

Her son Colin (pictured left), 65, insists Nancy was neglected at the home and says her loved ones have been left haunted by what she may have suffered

Broomfield Court Care Home closed down as it was not financially viable’ to keep it open

Colin added: ‘It constantly plays on my mind that we never got the answers we need and no one was ever held accountable for what happened to our mum.

‘Someone in her condition should have been looked after. The staff were paid to look after her. But the conditions she was left living in were dreadful.

‘Our mum was a lovely, caring, charitable person and to know she suffered the way she did is really difficult.’

A number of Google reviews of Broomfield Court Care Home show residents’ relatives slamming the home for ‘awful neglect’.

A spokesman for Larchwood Care said: ‘We understand Mrs Donnelly’s family’s concerns and acknowledge their considerable distress following the loss of a much-loved family member.

‘Our investigation into these matters identified failings with communication and we apologise for the impact this had on the Donnelly family. We have reviewed our policies and made the necessary changes.

‘In 2021 the matter was referred to the Care Inspectorate and the Adult Support and Protection team. The home, which is now closed, fully co-operated with the outside agencies looking into the issues raised.’

A spokesman for the Care Inspectorate said: ‘We are aware of a concern raised about the quality of care experienced by an individual at this care service, which has since cancelled its registration with the Care Inspectorate. The concern was investigated by the relevant local authority under Adult Support and Protection procedures.’

MailOnline has also approached Glasgow City Council for comment.  

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