A north-east woman has called for a radical shake-up of care for dementia sufferers after spending years battling to get proper accommodation for her dad.
Kelly Forsyth-Gibson spoke out after her father George Robertson died in hospital following a stroke.
His combination of dementia and brain damage caused in a horrific mugging nearly 40 years ago meant no care home was able to meet his needs.
After being sent to a centre in Perthshire he ran away several times – seriously injuring himself in the process on one occasion.
He also wandered out of a north-east care home, and hurt himself when he tried to make his own way home while being treated at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Mr Robertson, who was 71 when he died peacefully surrounded by his family, was eventually given the care his daughter believed he deserved when he was transferred to Glen O’ Dee Hospital in Banchory.
Mrs Forsyth-Gibson, 50, is now calling for the work done there to be replicated across the north-east and for “secure” accommodation to be provided at ARI.
Her father died “peacefully” aged 71 holding the hands of his children last Monday after suffering a stroke in Banchory’s Glen O’ Dee Hospital.
Bricklayer Mr Robertson, who was originally from Mastrick in Aberdeen, was left with brain damage following a mugging in Aberdeen in 1978 and six years ago was diagnosed with dementia.
His daughter, who stays at Pitcaple, spent years battling to have him placed in a secure care home close to his family.
After she let Aberdeen City Council take charge of his care through a guardianship order, he was sent to Levenglen Care Home in Kinross.
After running away several times, he was brought back to Kirkton House at Westhill.
But after he made repeated attempts to run away from there, Mrs Forsyth-Gibson successfully fought for a medical assessment, which was carried out at Glen O’ Dee.
She argued neither care home was “fit for purpose” for his specific needs, calling for action from the Care Inspectorate and the local authority’s adult protection unit and social work department.
She said: “It was agreed there was no fit place for my dad, with a crossover condition of dementia and brain damage, to have ever been cared for.”
The mother-of-three added: “He had complicated needs. Because I was so unhappy about the lack of care and security my dad was getting, I called the Care Inspectorate to prove the environment was not fit for purpose. I managed to get that proved.
“If I didn’t have a care order I would have taken him out of both places.
“It took many, many years to finally get that. Years of fighting and fighting to see what my dad was finally needing in life.”
She said Mr Robertson and her whole family had “suffered” because of the care home ordeals.
Mrs Forsyth-Gibson, who invented the Thudguard infant safety hat, added: “What I want to highlight is there is no facility at ARI for dementia patients.
“We don’t have a secure place at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, for sufferers to be kept safe while they are being treated.
“That is my concern, that one day there is going to be a death involving someone with dementia or Alziehmer’s.
“I understand, the staff can’t stand and watch them 24-7 every day.
“We need to be thinking about converting one of the rooms there for secure accommodation.”
A spokesman for the Care Inspectorate could not comment on the issue as Kirkton House and Levenglen Care Home have both closed down.
An NHS Grampian spokeswoman said: “Our sympathies are with Mr Robertson’s family at this time.
“In general terms NHS Grampian works hard to ensure patients with dementia are appropriately supported during time spent in acute hospitals.
“We are committed to the vision outlined in the National Dementia Strategy and we are supporting our staff to ensure they have the right skills to look after this patient group.
“We have more than 50 dementia champions, an Alzheimer Scotland dementia nurse consultant and an older adults mental health nurse consultant.
“We have paid particular attention to the ward environment, implementing nationally recommended signage.”
