A family source said: “We realised that he wouldn’t live forever but we didn’t think he would die of bed sores.

 

“That’s unacceptable in this day and age. We are devastated. It’s quite frightening that something like that can happen.”

 

A Care Commission report requested by the family investigated 15 complaints against the home - part of the multi-million pound Caring Homes group which runs over 100 units in the UK - and every single one was upheld.

 

William’s daughter Moira Begg, 50, who lives in Alloa, also called in lawyers Cameron Fyfe to raise a civil action against the group in an attempt to raise the profile of the case and ensure that other families are aware of the possible consequences of putting elderly relatives into care.

 

The family source continued: “We went to Cameron Fyfe to highlight this for other families. People pay a lot of money to put their relatives into care homes and trust them to provide the best of care. How do you know that they are being cared for?

 

“We were onto them every day but there will be some old people in homes who have no family at all - how do you know what is happening to them?

 

“We didn’t put (William) in there to die.

 

“We had read reports and online comments and decided that Beechwood Park would be the best place.

 

“The company’s website says it ‘does exactly what it says on the tin – It Cares’, but I’d be really surprised if he’s the only person to suffer neglect in there.

 

“The Care Commission says only five per cent of homes in Scotland meet the standard they expect. The worrying thing is all of us will be old one day - we could all end up there.”

Early last year, William - who had Parkinson’s disease - found it increasingly difficult to move around, to the extent that his previous home in sheltered accommodation was no longer suitable to meet his needs.

 

After careful consideration, Moira and the family reluctantly agreed that full-time care would be the best option for his future.

 

But shortly after he had settled in at Beechwood Park in August, it became obvious that something was wrong.

 

The source added: “He had developed two bed sores, but he had never got a bed sore in his time in sheltered housing.

 

“He needed medication for Parkinson’s disease and took two paracetamol four times a day, but they were ‘out of stock’ of paracetamol for 11 days.

 

“He had a buzzer to call staff if he needed anything but it always seemed to be placed out of reach - if he was on the bed it was on a chair and if he was on his chair it was put on the bed.

 

“He became awfully dehydrated and his condition became worse and worse, despite our complaints and the advice of a GP that he needed to be treated.

 

“The GP later checked to see how his bed sores were being treated and was horrified because he thought there was an infection in the blood.

 

“He was taken to hospital - only six weeks after he had gone into the home - and died 10 days later.”

 

When Moira wrote to the Care Commission for assistance, it also emerged that William had not been given his Parkinson’s disease medication for five days and that staff had even failed to provide nutritional drinks.

 

Several of the Caring Group’s homes have been exposed in the recent past for appalling inadequacies.

 

Three of their nurses, all working in the Wee County area, were struck off in Scotland during the past year.

 

Charles Paterson, 61, was sacked from Kincardine Bridge Care Home for locking dementia patients inside. A colleague, Susanne Park, was suspended.

 

At Sauchie’s Hillview Court Home - also owned by the Caring Group - Molly Moswate was sacked and struck off for grabbing and shaking a patient’s face.

 

Concerned staff and managers raised concerns about Moswate’s despicable behaviour, whilst a manager at Beechwood Park apologised to William’s family for “letting him down and letting the family down”.

 

However, the lack of compassion and care offered to some of the nursing profession’s most vulnerable patients makes a mockery of a marketing statement on the Caring Group’s website.

 

Owner Helena Jeffery, who runs the company with her accountant son Paul, claims: “I believe that a care home should be a continuation of home life first of all, but also a place where people can have a new lease of life, try experiences and enjoy companionship.”

 

A spokesman for the group denied that all of the complaints investigated were substantiated but said that a new manager had been appointed at the home. He added:  “We realise how distressing Mr Taylor's death must have been for his family and they continue to have our deepest sympathies.

 

“The well-being of our residents remains the highest priority for all the staff and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the Care Commission to ensure that all care standards are met."

Write Comment