Mum dies 28 days after 'inhumane' carers stop giving her food or water
Joe Harker
Featured Image Credit: Daily Post
A woman who had suffered a stroke died after 28 days without receiving food or water from her carers.
Sarene Taylor was sent back to a care home from a North Wales hospital after her food and fluids were withdrawn, her son Rob Taylor said.
Her son slammed the treatment of his 88-year-old mother, calling it 'inhumane' and said the experience had been 'heartbreaking' for his family.
He said he would report the circumstances of his mother's death to the police and take the matter up with the Older People's Commissioner for Wales.
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He said: "I understand end-of-life care, and the carers and district nurses do a fantastic job but to deny a human being food and water is disgraceful and we as a society need to ensure that this doesn't happen again.
"The family thank everyone for their kind messages and loving support during these past weeks."
Taylor said his mother had suffered from a stroke and had been in hospital, but was told by doctors that there was nothing more they could do for her but to move her to end-of-life care, Sarene was then moved to a care home.
He had posted a video a few days before the 88-year-old died saying she'd had a 'fantastic life' but criticised the conditions of her care in her final weeks.
At the point he made the video he said his mother had gone 25 days 'without any food, any water, no IV drip, nothing' and said it had been 'absolutely harrowing' for his family to go through.
He said: "That such a precious lady has been allowed to lie on a bed in a care home - in fairness being seen once a day by a district nurse and they do an outstanding job, it's nothing against them or the care home - but it's the ethics that she is just left to die, slowly from dehydration and malnutrition in front of our very eyes.
"This is how you would treat people back in the 11th and 12th Century - not 2023. It's absolutely harrowing.
"There is nothing we can do, absolutely nothing we can do - and they have been wonderful, it's just that it's incredible that she's probably suffering and it's heartbreaking, it's absolutely heartbreaking for us."
Andrea Hughes, Director of Nursing for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board's East Integrated Health Community, said: "We offer our sincere condolences to Mrs Taylor's family for their very sad loss.
"While we cannot comment on individual cases in any detail, we were in daily contact with Mr Taylor about his mother's care and we are investigating concerns that he has raised."
Heléna Herklots CBE, Older People's Commissioner for Wales, said: "I would like to offer my condolences to Mr. Taylor and his family following the loss of his mother.
"Mr. Taylor has contacted me and I am in the process of seeking further details from him about his mother's experiences. As such, I am unable to comment further at this stage."