A 94-year-old woman's death in East Sussex has prompted a review into how care staff handle concerns about family members' coercive behaviour. The woman died from natural causes in 2017, but a Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) review found she had suffered 26 unexplained injuries while living with her granddaughter and son.
The injuries included a fractured nose and jaw, as well as bruising to her face, arms and legs. She was diagnosed with sepsis and pneumonia, dying eight days later in September. Police said there was no evidence to justify criminal proceedings.
The woman's family provided most of her day-to-day care, with support from privately arranged care workers and community nurses. The review found she had spoken to staff about being denied food and drink, and only allowed to use the toilet at certain times. However, professionals only spoke to her when family members were present, and she insisted she was being cared for properly.
The SAB recommended that professionals be more robust in challenging family members, and that private care providers, community nurses, GPs, police and adult social care services improve their collaboration. Graham Bartlett, SAB chair, said the review was concluded in 2019 but publication was delayed due to a police re-investigation, which again found no criminal prosecution threshold met.
Bartlett added: 'The board is confident that the learning is being embedded which will make tragedies like this less likely in the future.' The case has led to changes in how support staff raise concerns over coercive behaviour by family members.
