Mother's cry for help over 'third world care' in area

AN ELDERLY woman has said the level of care in the area is "worse than that of a third world country".

The woman - who looks after her disabled son - praised care workers but said senior managers in the health trust had put so much pressure on them that they were being forced to 'cut corners'.

She claimed the level of care had declined rapidly in the area over the past 10 years and when she queried an aspect of her son's care she was threatened with its removal.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The woman, in her 70s, is entitled to care herself after a number of serious operations and treatment for cancer, however, she said health staff visiting her home have been instructed to focus solely on her son and to not offer help to the mother.

The woman's son was injured in a biking accident over 30 years ago which left him paralysed and in need of constant supervision and care.

His mother has been his primary carer for decades, however, following cancer and major surgery she too needs help from time-to-time.

She asked not to be identified for fear the health trust would remove the care from her son if she was named.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I want to be as independent as I can and look after my son," she said, "but after overcoming cancer and three major operations I just can't do some things.

"I do need help but it is my son who is the one that requires the most amount of help and the services provided by the southern trust are a disgrace.

"The care workers are being forced to do as much as they can in as little time as possible. One of them told me that if she was to do the job properly as she was trained then her bosses would 'come down hard on her'.

"I want to do as much as I can for my son, I feel that I should but i just can't physically."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She went on: "One worker refused to clean my son because she had to go to another patient.

"The next day she came back to our house and apologised for the way she had treated us saying she was under pressure.

"She said she was ashamed and felt she couldn't do her job properly because of the strain put on her."

The woman said she had a number of run-ins with care managers in the area and was at one time threatened with having her son's care withdrawn.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Some of the care workers go above and beyond to do their job, others should not be allowed to care for anyone.

"I have been told my son is entitled to the maximum amount of care available, but they won't tell me exactly what that is.

"I am entitled to a level of provision because of my age and the operations and illnesses I have endured, but I can manage, it is my son I am most concerned about.

"A senior official visited my home after I asked about my son's care and he told me all care could be taken away. He told me this just hours after doctors had informed me that my cancer had returned and I was totally devastated.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"But when I realised what he had done I requested he put his threats in writing to me and to this day I have not received a word from him or anything on paper."

She added: "I have worked in local government and know that threats cannot just be thrown around - there is a proper due process to go through.

"My real fear is that there are people out there who have suffered the same mistreatment as me and my son, but they have not stood up to these officials as I have.

"There has been lots of talk about cuts to the health service recently, but the health care provision in this area has been going downhill for the past 10 years - and it's getting worse.

"It's worse than you would expect in a third world country. They are playing with the emotions of people and blackmailing them into silence."