Bereaved sons demand answers over mother’s care home death

Two brothers have described their devastation at the alleged “catastrophic failings” that led up to their mother’s death in a Norfolk care home, and are demanding answers around the way she was treated.

Janet Noon, a former nurse, Special Constable and charity worker, died aged 73 in a specialist dementia care home she was placed in by Norfolk County Council, and where it is alleged her care did not adhere to strict conditions required by Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) – a legal process which protects people who do not have capacity to look after themselves.

Her sons Jonathan and James repeatedly complained to Belvoir House Care Home in Brundall, as well as Norfolk County Council’s adult social services department, that their beloved mother – who had Alzheimer’s - was not being taken out of the care home three to four times per week, with her DOLS specifying that activity was essential for her health and wellbeing. This lack of exercise is feared to have contributed to her death.

Grandmother-of-two Janet died on February 12 this year, after an ambulance was called due to concerns around her health. She was not taken to hospital and paramedics decided she should see her GP, who was visiting later that day. While the paramedics were still there, Janet, who lived in Gorleston, near Great Yarmouth, died from a pulmonary embolism blood clot.

East of England Ambulance Service said in its report that, based on the paramedics’ assessment, “the patient should have been transported to hospital” and that “reflective practice has been undertaken” as a result of their failure to act.

Previously, Jonathan and James had two complaints around their mother’s care by the Council upheld by the Local Government Ombudsman. One Ombudsman finding recommended that social workers at the Council improve their understanding of their obligations under safeguarding laws and the powers granted to relatives by Lasting Powers of Attorneys.

While she was resident at Belvoir House Care Home, concerns were also raised over a number of other issues by her sons, including when Janet’s finger was seriously damaged when it became trapped in a door due to there being no hinge guards.

An inquest is being held into Janet’s death, which will look at the circumstances around what happened – but Jonathan and James have spoken of their devastation at the treatment of their mother by Norfolk County Council, and their fears that other families are being dismissed in the same way they were.

“Mum was catastrophically failed and there was a pattern of failure in her care,” says Jonathan.

“We complained to the care home so many times over the fact she was not being taken out, which was a legal requirement, but the Council placed her there – should they, being well aware of her DOLS, not be checking on this and making sure she was being cared for properly, as the law says she should be?

“We tried to do everything by the book, complaining in the right way, even having three complaints upheld by the Ombudsman – but nothing made them listen to us. Their inaction has left us devastated, and mum has been so badly let down. Even when you try to challenge them, still nothing changes. We know we couldn’t have done any more, but we will always live with the fact that we couldn’t change things for her.”

James continued: “You can trace the failures in her care back to when she was in her previous care home, where the Council obtained an injunction which prevented us from taking mum out of her care home for any reason whatsoever for 99 days – from a Freedom of Information request we submitted, we know it cost them £30,000 to take us to the Court of Protection over this.

“There is always so much bureaucracy to overcome, and you’re always fighting against the superior attitude they have towards you. We are just the little people who are easy to ignore. You feel so isolated and feel you are going through this alone, like no one is listening.

“We want to speak out so that other families know they are not alone either. Very sadly, we doubt we are the only ones who are going through such a heartbreaking ordeal fighting for a loved one.”

Law firm Slater and Gordon is supporting Jonathan and James in investigating the death of Janet and in establishing the failings that led to this.

Rebecca Hall, from Slater and Gordon’s clinical negligence team, says: “Janet’s untimely death has left a lot of questions to be answered, and Jonathan and James are understandably devastated by everything that has happened. They fought so hard on their mother’s behalf and did the very best they could for her, and that fight continues now to get justice.

“We will support them and their family through the inquest and beyond in establishing exactly how and why their mother died, and will support them in finding the accountability they need and deserve.”