- A video posted to Facebook shows two carers mocking an elderly patient’s speech
- The video has been viewed nearly 3,000 times with many calling for the carers to lose their jobs
- The carers were suspended after the incident but have since returned to work
An elderly woman’s carers have been allowed to return to work after an online video showed them mocking the way she spoke.
The ring doorbell footage, which has amassed nearly 3,000 views on Facebook, has left viewers ‘disgusted’ at the way 76-year-old Margaret Booth was spoken to.
In the video, two carers from Meridian Health and Social Care can be heard making ‘blah blah blah’ noises when Mrs Booth struggles to answer them.
One carer later asks her why she is ‘wittering’, shortly after which Mrs Booth leaves the room.
Mrs Booth suffers from mixed dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, meaning she sometimes struggles to finish her sentences.
She has received care for the past two years as she has difficulty completing tasks such as cooking for herself.
After a fall in the bathroom 18 months ago, her family had interior cameras installed, and all of her carers were informed.
Mrs Booth’s son, Duncan Rimmer, was made aware of the incident with her carers after his ‘fuming’ sister alerted him to the footage.
He said: “I had a look and I was obviously disgusted.
“We complained and said we want this investigated.
“The next thing I heard was that they’d been suspended.”
He explained that, on the day of the incident, Mrs Booth had already eaten and was trying to explain this to her carers before being mocked.
Both carers in the video were suspended a couple of days after the incident on 2 February 2022.
Mr Rimmer was informed on 17 February that they have since returned to work.
When he called Meridian to verify this, it was confirmed that the carers had been reinstated.
He was apologised to over the phone, but has yet to receive a formal, written apology from Meridian or the carers themselves.
Meridian Health and Social Care have a ‘Good’ Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating and specialise in dementia, among other things.
Since the incident, Mr Rimmer has been made aware of previous complaints against one of the carers in the video, including by an ex-colleague.
He has confirmed that his mother is okay, adding: “In one way, it’s lucky that she forgets.”
In a statement, Meridian Health and Social Care said: “We were shocked to learn of the behaviour of two of our team members, which was not in line with the values we stand for, and the high standards of care we expect, as an organisation.
“As soon as concerns were raised, we suspended both carers immediately.
“We launched a full investigation, including raising safeguarding concerns with the local council, and working with colleagues and clients to understand the circumstances in full and take appropriate action.
“Both carers now fully understand, and are deeply apologetic for, their actions.
“As part of our disciplinary procedure, they have been required to undertake a full course of stringent training, including refreshed dementia-specific training to ensure that this type of behaviour is not repeated.”
Monton Matters 