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Castlehill care home accused of neglect after Inverness mum ‘dies without dignity’

Relatives of former residents have lifted the lid on conditions they witnessed behind closed doors.

(L-R) Alison Dick, Justine Robertson, Kerry Ross and Lesley Thorpe.
Alison Dick, Justine Robertson, Kerry Ross and Lesley Thorpe have shared detailed accounts of 'neglect' during their relative's time at Castlehill Care Home in Inverness. Image: Sandy McCook/ DC Thomson.

Inverness families have pulled back the curtain to reveal the scale of ‘neglect’ endured by residents at a city care home.

Castlehill Care Home came under fire in the past six months after being rated ‘unsatisfactory’ by the Care Inspectorate.

Last month, the Care Inspectorate was delighted to report significant changes at the facility, describing it as a “homely, clean and comfortable” care home.

Despite its improved outlook, relatives of former residents at Castlehill Care Home have come forward to explain how care at the home hit ‘rock bottom’.

During an unannounced inspection in September, Inspectors said they were concerned about the “welfare, health and safety” of residents, with a lack of staff competence putting people “at risk of harm.”

The three-storey Cradlehall facility, operated by Morar Living, was served with an urgent improvement order.

By December, inspectors acknowledged a “positive shift in the culture of the home”, with further improvements needed to escalate their ‘weak’ rating.

Inverness care home took a turn for the worst, says Inverness daughter

Kerry Ross has seen the struggle from both sides, having previously worked at Castlehill for two years before leaving due to her disability.

Her late mother Jessie Martin – who lived with COPD and vascular dementia – was also a resident on the second floor until her death in August last year.

Speaking to The Press and Journal, the former care worker said the service was ‘faultless’ in the beginning, however, things soon took a turn for the worse.

She said: “It started brilliantly; you could not fault it.

“Everybody seemed to get on well, the carers were a strong team.

“You could see they were really trying, but then as time went on, I don’t know whether it was because they were getting burnt out, they were overloaded with work or suffering staff shortages, but the care just hit rock bottom.”

Kerry recalls an instance where her mother Jessie was left in ‘agony’ for two days after breaking her hip in a fall.

“My mum had two separate falls, at two different times, which resulted in her hips being broken, she explained.

“The second hip break, it happened on a Wednesday, and they called me to say your mum has had a fall, but she’s alright.

“There was no apparent injury, and they had filled out a form to that effect.”

The following day, Kerry visited her mother at the home and was shocked by her condition.

‘Mum was screaming in agony’

After attempting to roll her mother over, Jessie was left screaming in agony, prompting serious concerns by her daughter.

Despite calls for NHS 24 to be contacted, Kerry claims her mother was left unable to move and screaming in pain for 48 hours before an ambulance was called.

Despite nurses insisting Jessie was uninjured following the fall, she was left with wounds on her arm. Image: Kerry Ross.

“The whole time she had a broken hip, Castlehill gave her one paracetamol and it wasn’t until the Friday that they phoned me and said, ‘We are getting an ambulance for your mum because she’s in pain,” Kerry added.

“I met her up at the hospital, and her hip was crumbled. She needed a hip replacement.”

Kerry has had several complaints upheld by the Care Inspectorate.

Inspectors found Jessie had not been supported in continence care – with nurses only changing her once in 12 hours – or skin intensity or supported with her end-of-life care plan.

During her tenure at the facility, she explained how half the time “we couldn’t find pants for people” or sheets for residents’ beds, prompting the use of towels across their mattresses.

‘Not enough quilts at Castlehill’

At one stage, Kerry said the home had just 16 quilts to cater to their 88 residents.

For Kerry, the days leading up to her mother’s death were ‘awful.’

She said that during a visit you could tell she was dirty and she had not been changed.

Kerry had to tend to her mother herself to clean her after smelling her in the dining room while other residents were eating.

She said: “The run-up to her death was just awful. Things were awful in the home. She died a week after her birthday.

“She was sitting in a dining room; people are trying to eat, and she was reeking.”

Upon taking Jessie back to her room, Kerry discovered her mum was covered and in need of a full-body wash.

To her dismay, she said staff “walked off” and left her to tend to her mother alone.

However, just moments later, Jessie collapsed and later suffered a fatal stroke, which claimed her life 48 hours later.

Families say their loved ones were ‘neglected’ and left unaided as standards hit ‘rock bottom.’ Image: Shutterstock.

Inverness care home ‘wasn’t even trying’

Having worked in the care industry, Kerry is only too aware of how such situations should be handled.

This was a stark contrast from the undignified passing she said her mum received.

She said: “When I worked in the care home or the community and somebody passed, I would make sure that they had a clean sheet over the top of them.  The room was relatively tidy.

“I’d open the window and lock the door. I think that’s pretty standard.

“When we went to Castlehill, my mum’s door was open. She was lying there dead with a dirty blanket over her. Cups from the day before were still lying there.

“There was a pile of washing on the chair and a half-eaten sandwich on the table.

“They weren’t even trying. These are simply dignified things.

“In the dementia unit, they are all in each other’s rooms, so the door should have been locked.”

‘People are paying for a service they are not getting at Castlehill’

Kerry says despite all they have been through at Castlehill, she doesn’t want to see the facility close.

However, she has pledged to continue campaigning for change for those who don’t have a voice.

She added: “People are paying for a service, and they are entitled to dignity and care.

“They have upped their score recently, but I’m continuing to push for the ones that are still there and don’t have a family to advocate for them.

“I don’t want to see Castlehill shut down because that is effectively making all these people homeless.

“I feel sorry for the staff that are trying. They are under a lot of pressure but they have to realise standards need to be met.”

Castlehill Care Home.
Kerry Ross. the daughter of late Castlehill resident Jessie Martin, says care at the Inverness facility hit ‘rock bottom’. Image: Google Maps.

Morar Living was approached on three separate occasions for comment, however, they did not respond.

The Care Inspectorate says they are continuing to monitor the service closely.

A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: “We inspected this service in June, September and November 2024.

“Our concerns about people’s experiences meant that we issued an Improvement Notice to the provider in October 2024. This Improvement Notice was met in November 2024.

“We have recently carried out a follow-up inspection. The full report can be found on our website.”

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