Woman secretly filmed her mum being abused in care home

A woman, dissatisfied with the care her mother was receiving at a nursing home, secretly filmed instances of alleged abuse. Nicola Hughes, herself a registered nurse, hid a covert camera inside a radio in her mother's bedroom at Barrogil House care home in Fife.

The footage captured staff members treating Janette Ritchie roughly and shouting at her. One caregiver was filmed covering her head with a sheet and saying "Rest in Peace." Upon learning of the recordings, the nursing home dismissed five employees last year.

However, the family remains concerned about the standard of care at the facility and has filed a complaint with the Care Inspectorate. The Care Inspectorate is currently investigating four complaints against the nursing home. Nicola's complaint pertains to the care her mother, Janette, received.

Nicola stated that initially, the family was very pleased when Janette moved into the nursing home near Cluny in February 2024. The facility, specializing in dementia care, was located just a few miles from where they lived. Janette, 67, a former caregiver herself, suffers from dementia and is incontinent.

Nicola said, "The decision to put cameras in someone's room is fraught with anxiety because you're scared - scared of the repercussions for me, for my mother. You're scared of what you're going to find on those cameras." She added, "What I found was heartbreaking. My mother was being left at night with no welfare checks. Unfortunately, my mother is incontinent, so she was being left lying in her own urine. There was also verbal and emotional abuse from staff - telling her she was stinking, telling her she was daft, even using my name against her."

Nicola explained that due to her mother's advanced dementia, moving her to a new nursing home would be too disruptive. "Starting again would be a big upheaval for her," she said. "It's not fair to move her again." Nicola hopes the nursing home will make improvements, stating that she had raised concerns with management on numerous occasions while the recordings were being made. "I kept going into the manager's office with my concerns, and nothing changed," she said.

The family decided to inform the nursing home about the recordings when they saw a staff member cover Janette's head with a sheet and say "Rest in Peace." Following an investigation, five staff members were dismissed. However, six months after the dismissals, the family remains concerned about the standards of care. "All I've ever asked for is for basic care needs to be met," Nicola said.

Last month, the Care Inspectorate upheld four of the family's complaints regarding Janette's care. The Inspectorate stated that Janette's personal care needs were sometimes not met, and her medication was sometimes not administered correctly. Nicola said, "I think it's important to stress that these complaints are just to ensure that the nursing home operates to a higher standard, not just for my mother - for everyone." Inspectors have set deadlines for the nursing home to make improvements.

A spokesperson for Barrogil House said in a statement: "We took immediate action following concerns raised by Mrs. Ritchie’s family in June last year, resulting in the dismissal of five staff members. A subsequent unannounced inspection noted our good staffing levels and commitment to kindness and respect, and we continue to work closely with all relevant authorities to make improvements - including a revised care plan for Mrs. Ritchie. The health and wellbeing of our residents is our utmost priority, and we aim to provide the highest possible standards of care and compassion."

Nicola said: "As a family, it's difficult watching your loved one deteriorate in front of you. And it's more difficult that I've not had the opportunity to have nice times with my mother because I'm too busy caring for my mother, practically. I don't mind caring for my mother, but I should be having nice times with her as a daughter, not as a nurse. I just want my mother to be safe for the last few years of her life."