Dying man found with maggots crawling out of legs 'despite police being asked to check him twice'

"When we went through the door it was like a scene from a horror movie"

Tragic: Peter was found slumped on the sofa unable to move
A dying man was found covered in maggots by his devastated sister despite police being called TWICE to check on him.
Carole Mitchell was left stunned after finding brother Peter slumped on his sofa with maggots crawling out of his legs last Wednesday.
The tragic ex-squaddie was rushed to hospital, but died on Monday and an inquest is to be held to determine his cause of death.
But Carole has criticised Lancashire Police for failing to do a welfare check on her brother despite two separate requests.
Carole, who has arachnoiditis - a debilitating spinal condition - said she rang 101, the police's non-emergency number, to request a welfare check last Tuesday and was asked by the operator why she could not do it herself.
Mrs Mitchell, who lives in North Yorkshire, said it was a two-hour drive for her and she has a disability. She was then told to check with the local hospitals, but was refused help as she could not prove she was a realtive.


Cascade
Devastating: Despite efforts to save him, Peter died on Monday
Carole called 101 again the following day and was put through to a number which rang unanswered for eight minutes.
It was at that point Carole, who had not heard from her brother since July 15, decided to go to his house in Accrington, Lancashire, to check on him with her daughter.
"When we went through the door it was like a scene from a horror movie. The first thing that hit you was the smell and then all you could see were bluebottles flying around," said Carole, 55.
She added: "It was my daughter who found him.
"He was collapsed in his chair and there was blood and excrement everywhere. He was covered in maggots and bluebottles.
"His eyes were open but he couldn't talk.
"He looked like a homeless person. The hair growth and his nails. He actually looked better after he had passed away, which is an awful thing to say.

"He was mentally aware of everything that was going on, but couldn't talk.
"Me and my daughter will be traumatised for life."


Cascade
Tragic: Peter was taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital but nothing could be done to save him
Carole said her 64-year-old brother had lost a substantial amount of weight and she said doctors had told her they would not be able to resuscitate her brother because of how weak he was.
She added: "I don't know if that 24 hours would have made a difference, but you never know.
"But even so, nobody realised he was there for three weeks. I am angry with myself."
Mr Mitchell, a former soldier in the Royal Corps of Signals had suffered a stroke in November 2013 and although he had limited mobility and used a zimmer frame he lived independently.
A Lancashire police spokeswoman said: "I can confirm a complaint has been made and we are looking in to it."
Mr Mitchell leaves behind sister Carole, brother Ian, two daughters, a son, grandchildren, and a niece.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/dying-man-found-maggots-crawling-6278077

Years ago there would have been a District Nurse visiting him every day.   What a terrible way to die.

He has two daughters and a son. Why weren't they checking up on their dad? Too busy I suppose.

Oh my God that poor man.
Cuts? What cuts?
Agree with Rags too what a family

Nems wrote:Oh my God that poor man.
Cuts? What cuts?
Agree with Rags too what a family

It makes me sick. I think it's natural to assume that if someone has sons and daughters, they won't end up in such a state, but clearly that's not the case. They should be ashamed of themselves. It doesn't say how old his grandchildren are, but if they're old enough to know better, they should be ashamed too.

I think it's a good idea for there to be a way to check up on people who live on their own, and the police should have checked. I'm not sure why it's their job though.

Well as it doesn't say about them in the article, for all we know they could be living in Australis.  And it says the one that phoned is disabled herself.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Nems wrote:Oh my God that poor man.
Cuts? What cuts?
Agree with Rags too what a family

It makes me sick. I think it's natural to assume that if someone has sons and daughters, they won't end up in such a state, but clearly that's not the case. They should be ashamed of themselves. It doesn't say how old his grandchildren are, but if they're old enough to know better, they should be ashamed too.

I think it's a good idea for there to be a way to check up on people who live on their own, and the police should have checked. I'm not sure why it's their job though.

Its becoming their job more and more due to cuts in community services

Nems wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

It makes me sick. I think it's natural to assume that if someone has sons and daughters, they won't end up in such a state, but clearly that's not the case. They should be ashamed of themselves. It doesn't say how old his grandchildren are, but if they're old enough to know better, they should be ashamed too.

I think it's a good idea for there to be a way to check up on people who live on their own, and the police should have checked. I'm not sure why it's their job though.

Its becoming their job more and more due to cuts in community services

Exactly, and they are being cut too, so where is it all going to end.  After all, people are told to move to get a job and families don't just live down the street anymore and travelling is becoming more and more expensive for people on limited incomes.

sassy wrote:Well as it doesn't say about them in the article, for all we know they could be living in Australis.  And it says the one that phoned is disabled herself.

They have phones in Australia ...

Raggamuffin wrote:

sassy wrote:Well as it doesn't say about them in the article, for all we know they could be living in Australis.  And it says the one that phoned is disabled herself.

They have phones in Australia ...

And he wouldn't have been able to answer and they would have phoned the same number she did and got the same response.

sassy wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

They have phones in Australia ...

And he wouldn't have been able to answer and they would have phoned the same number she did and got the same response.

They didn't even phone her by the sound of it to see if she'd heard from him. He'd been like that for three weeks.

You don't know that, it doesn't say anything about it.

sassy wrote:You don't know that, it doesn't say anything about it.

I read it in another article.

“Left in the hallway was his shopping going rotten which he had delivered from Tesco on July 22. That’s how we know he was there for three weeks.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/13611626.Grieving_sister_furious_after_finding_dying_brother_slumped_on_sofa_covered_in_maggots/

He'd had a stroke in 2013 and had health issues. You'd think his son and daughters would have been checking on him a lot.

That article just mentions his sister, probably about the same age and with medical problems of her own, and the fact that two phonecalls were made to 101 which the police didn't follow up, and the fact the daughter has a seriour spinal problem.  It doesn't say when the 101 phone calls were made, and the why they knew he had been there three weeks.  None of which adds up to what you are saying.

Sorry but why on earth is other family not helping in assisting here?
Sorry but most people with such problems have lifelines, so why did the family not have one installed and pay for or charge the council to have one.
Blaming the police for their own mistakes.
If he had a lifleline pendant attached to him then this could have been avoided.

You obviously have no idea of how many elderly people live in this country with absolutely no back up and no family.

Try reading this:

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/Documents/EN-GB/Factsheets/Later_Life_UK_factsheet.pdf?dtrk=true

sassy wrote:That article just mentions his sister, probably about the same age and with medical problems of her own, and the fact that two phonecalls were made to 101 which the police didn't follow up, and the fact the daughter has a seriour spinal problem.  It doesn't say when the 101 phone calls were made, and the why they knew he had been there three weeks.  None of which adds up to what you are saying.

I'm saying that nobody except his sister had been worried about him. At his age, there's no reason to think anything had happened, except that he did have health issues himself, so you'd think someone else would have tried to check up - ie, his three children.

She rang 101 a day before she went there herself - it says so in the article I linked to.

She knew he had been like that for three weeks because his shopping was in the hall, and it had been delivered on 22 July.

Yes I do have plenty of experince sassy.
Like I say they should installed lifleline.

sassy wrote:You obviously have no idea of how many elderly people live in this country with absolutely no back up and no family.

Well he did have family Sassy - that's the point.

For people on their own, there should be a way to check they're OK if they have health problems. Nobody can rely on neighbours these days.

Raggamuffin wrote:

sassy wrote:That article just mentions his sister, probably about the same age and with medical problems of her own, and the fact that two phonecalls were made to 101 which the police didn't follow up, and the fact the daughter has a seriour spinal problem.  It doesn't say when the 101 phone calls were made, and the why they knew he had been there three weeks.  None of which adds up to what you are saying.

I'm saying that nobody except his sister had been worried about him. At his age, there's no reason to think anything had happened, except that he did have health issues himself, so you'd think someone else would have tried to check up - ie, his three children.

She rang 101 a day before she went there herself - it says so in the article I linked to.

She knew he had been like that for three weeks because his shopping was in the hall, and it had been delivered on 22 July.

No, it says that she wishes she had gone 24 hours earlier, and you you don't know what phone calls his sister had exchanged with the rest of his family.  They are not going to put the ins and outs of a dogs behind on a news article, just the relevant facts.

Cuchulain wrote:Yes I do have plenty of experince sassy.
Like I say they should installed lifleline.

I've heard about that kind of thing - it's a good idea.

It's a pity this poor chap didn't ring his sister when he started to feel poorly, so maybe he wouldn't have called anyone else either. Who knows?

It's so awful - poor chap.

Raggamuffin wrote:

sassy wrote:You obviously have no idea of how many elderly people live in this country with absolutely no back up and no family.

Well he did have family Sassy - that's the point.

For people on their own, there should be a way to check they're OK if they have health problems. Nobody can rely on neighbours these days.

As I said, how do you know why not, his son could have been ill himself, abroad, estranged, you just don't know.

Raggamuffin wrote:

sassy wrote:You obviously have no idea of how many elderly people live in this country with absolutely no back up and no family.

Well he did have family Sassy - that's the point.

For people on their own, there should be a way to check they're OK if they have health problems. Nobody can rely on neighbours these days.

Indeed there are plenty that can be done and like I say blaming the Police to me is a sign of guilt more than anything from their own failures here as a family.

sassy wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

I'm saying that nobody except his sister had been worried about him. At his age, there's no reason to think anything had happened, except that he did have health issues himself, so you'd think someone else would have tried to check up - ie, his three children.

She rang 101 a day before she went there herself - it says so in the article I linked to.

She knew he had been like that for three weeks because his shopping was in the hall, and it had been delivered on 22 July.

No, it says that she wishes she had gone 24 hours earlier, and you you don't know what phone calls his sister had exchanged with the rest of his family.  They are not going to put the ins and outs of a dogs behind on a news article, just the relevant facts.

It says she rang 101 on the Tuesday, and she went there on the Wednesday. He went into hospital and died the following Monday.

You don't normally worry about more detail when you post these stories.

sassy wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Well he did have family Sassy - that's the point.

For people on their own, there should be a way to check they're OK if they have health problems. Nobody can rely on neighbours these days.

As I said, how do you know why not, his son could have been ill himself, abroad, estranged, you just don't know.

And his two daughters? They're all abroad, estranged, or ill are they?

Cuchulain wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Well he did have family Sassy - that's the point.

For people on their own, there should be a way to check they're OK if they have health problems. Nobody can rely on neighbours these days.

Indeed there are plenty that can be done and like I say blaming the Police to me is a sign of guilt more than anything from their own failures here as a family.

I think she feels bad and she's lashing out. That's understandable because of the state he was in, but she shouldn't beat herself up.

It seems that she rang 101 the day before she went there, and was asked to check local hospitals. The second time she rang 101 she didn't get a reply - not sure why, and perhaps that's an issue which should be looked into. I don't think there's a massive case here for police failure.

Even in these days of many people not giving a toss, it's a good idea just to have a neighbour's phone number, so they can pop round and knock on the door at least, or see if there's anything suspicious.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:

Indeed there are plenty that can be done and like I say blaming the Police to me is a sign of guilt more than anything from their own failures here as a family.

I think she feels bad and she's lashing out. That's understandable because of the state he was in, but she shouldn't beat herself up.

It seems that she rang 101 the day before she went there, and was asked to check local hospitals. The second time she rang 101 she didn't get a reply - not sure why, and perhaps that's an issue which should be looked into. I don't think there's a massive case here for police failure.

Sadly it's not unusual for 101 to ring out. It depends on what changes have been made in your local PCC area. I have to phone 101 a couple of times a day and it drives me bat shit.
The police were asked to do a concern for safety check and they didn't. They should be carpeted

Nems wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

I think she feels bad and she's lashing out. That's understandable because of the state he was in, but she shouldn't beat herself up.

It seems that she rang 101 the day before she went there, and was asked to check local hospitals. The second time she rang 101 she didn't get a reply - not sure why, and perhaps that's an issue which should be looked into. I don't think there's a massive case here for police failure.

Sadly it's not unusual for 101 to ring out. It depends on what changes have been made in your local PCC area. I have to phone 101 a couple of times a day and it drives me bat shit.
The police were asked to do a concern for safety check and they didn't.  They should be  carpeted

Yet missing the whole point why there is clearly an issue why measures were not in place in the first place.
The Police are first and foremost dealing with crimes and sadly such calls will be placed of a lower priority.
Again the reality is like I said such measure should be in place and why there was not regular carers set up here is another question who would have access. To blame the Police here is making poor excuses for how this could have been prevented from the start.

There are not regular carers because the government has taken the money away from the councils.

That is country wide and been splashed over the news everywhere!

Here we go again more excuses.
I am rightly questioning why none of this was even in place, not even a lifeline.

£1bn further cuts to social care will hit tens of thousands, say experts
Council care bosses urge ‘sustained and substantial’ extra funds to help older and disabled people in England

More than £1bn will be cut from social care services for older and disabled people in England over the next year, leaving tens of thousands facing reduced help with basic tasks such as washing, dressing and eating, council care bosses have said.
Despite rising demand driven by an ageing population, fewer people will qualify for state-funded care while those who continue to receive a service may have to accept lower levels of support and a worse quality of life, they said in a report.
The quality and reliability of local services would also suffer as a consequence of turmoil in the private care sector caused partly by an ongoing council freeze on fees, undermining attempts to maintain a “caring, compassionate and trained workforce”.
Ray James, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass), which produced the report, called on ministers to reverse five years of cuts and invest “sustained and substantial” extra funds to care for and protect older people.
“Short-changing social care is short-sighted and short-term. It must also be short-lived if we are going to avoid further damage to the lives of older and vulnerable people who often will have no one else but social care to turn to. It is vitally important these care and support services are protected,” he said.
He also warned that the cuts to social care would increase pressure on the NHS, a view shared by health service leaders, who earlier this week said ministers had to guarantee spending on social care as well as hospitals if the NHS was to survive five more years of austerity.
A government spokesman downplayed the report, which he said ignored ministerial commitments to invest extra resources into social care through the Better Care fund, which focuses on innovative ways of helping people live independently. “Increasing budgets isn’t the only solution. By working innovatively and joining up health and social care we can improve care – and also save money.”
But James accused the government of spin and double-counting, and called for a “transparent debate” on the pressures facing adult social care departments.
More than half of directors surveyed by Adass were worried that some local care provider markets, which have been racked by scandals over low pay, and high staff turnover, could collapse under the financial strain of the cuts.
To date councils have cut £4.6bn from adult social care budgets since 2009-10, equivalent to almost a third of net real terms spend, says Adass. They are now running out of “efficiencies” and are set to make £500m of service reductions over the next 12 months at a time when they face £600m in extra service demand and price inflation – equivalent to an overall cut in funding of £1.1bn.
Around 400,000 fewer people received social care support over the past five years, a trend that social care directors say they expect to continue. Councils are forecasting a £4.3bn black hole in social care funding in England by 2020.
Responding to the Adass report, Clare Pelham, chief executive of the Leonard Cheshire Disability charity, said: “The only choices that the councils at the frontline have to offer are less care or care for fewer people. Sometimes both.
“Let’s not hide from the reality of what this means. This means disabled ex-soldiers coping all day with one ‘flying’ homecare visit and a thermos. This means people who need help to go to the bathroom, falling and going to hospital sometimes several times a week. And now it might get worse.”
Richard Humphries, director of policy at the King’s Fund thinktank, said: “There is no hiding the fact that, despite the best efforts of local authorities, a sixth consecutive year of budget cuts will mean further reductions in services and fewer people receiving support.
“It defies demography that councils will spend £1bn less this year on essential services that more of us will need.
“Social care is now at a crossroads. It is at risk of becoming a residual service, available only to those with the lowest incomes and highest needs, leaving thousands of people and their families struggling to meet the costs of care.”
Izzie Seccombe, chair of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, said: “The necessity for further budget savings worth £1.1bn combined with other pressures of insufficient funding, growing demand and escalating costs mean that despite councils’ best efforts they are having to make tough decisions about the care services they can provide. This cannot continue.”
The Adass survey was completed during March and April 2015. Of 151 councils surveyed, 147 responded.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jun/04/1bn-further-cuts-to-social-care-will-hit-tens-of-thousands-say-experts

There will be a lot more of this happening.

yes we know you can spam sassy, but some answers to the points on this very case?

Spamming is repeating a post over and over.  Trying to pretend that is what I did from the C&P king is to hypocrital it's not funny.

That shows you why councils cannot provide the care and why this will happen more often.

And we have already discussed the case without your stupidity and ignorance about what is happening to older people and the disabled getting in the way thanks.

Yet another poor deflection which happens everytime sassy cannot answer.

I answered didge, with the facts of what is going on.  I can't help it is you can't read and digest.

Copout, I shall wait to see if Nems wants to.
You clearly have nothing to add.

You really find it hard to understand things don't you?  The cuts are forcing the councils to cut back on their care for the old and disabled, and in the post above is what the councils said about how much more they are going to have to cut and their reasons for doing so.   Do try to dredge up that brain cell and give it a shake.

Still not addressing tbhe points and yet you offer more excuses.

Try again

You try again, to read, learn and understand.  But I'm getting the distinct impression it's not possible for you to do so.  The reasons for the cuts in services and why this sort of thing will happen more is set out above in detail.

Nope you are again stalling and stillk offering excuses as to why this family did not set up any care help or any lifeline?

The guy wasn't claiming DLA, and he probably didn't think he needed a carer. He wasn't that old - 64. This is an unfortunate incident - down to nobody checking on him, and him either being unwilling or unable to call for help.

I don't think this is to do with cuts.

Raggamuffin wrote:The guy wasn't claiming DLA, and he probably didn't think he needed a carer. He wasn't that old - 64. This is an unfortunate incident - down to nobody checking on him, and him either being unwilling or unable to call for help.

I don't think this is to do with cuts.

He was in poor health though it seems, which to me would call on a need for a carer or at least the family if concerned as they were to have in place a lifeline.

Cuchulain wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:The guy wasn't claiming DLA, and he probably didn't think he needed a carer. He wasn't that old - 64. This is an unfortunate incident - down to nobody checking on him, and him either being unwilling or unable to call for help.

I don't think this is to do with cuts.

He was in poor health though it seems, which to me would call on a need for a carer or at least the family if concerned as they were to have in place a lifeline.

He was at risk I think because of previous health issues. He may not have wanted a carer. I agree that there should have been more checks on him though - because of his previous issues.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:

He was in poor health though it seems, which to me would call on a need for a carer or at least the family if concerned as they were to have in place a lifeline.

He was at risk I think because of previous health issues. He may not have wanted a carer. I agree that there should have been more checks on him though - because of his previous issues.

Agreed and I think like I said its easier to blame someone here when many factors are at play. I do think its unfair to blame this solely on the Police.

There are people (quite a few in fact) who refuse help from the authorities and from relatives, they can not be forced to accept help unless they are considered incapable. This all sounds a bit odd to me though with three children a sister and a couple of other relatives, it isn't the police's duty to check on people like this. Sadly it happens all too often but usually people are dead before they are found, sometimes weeks dead and the only clue is the smell and a window full of flies.

Vintage wrote:There are people (quite a few in fact) who refuse help from the authorities and from relatives, they can not be forced to accept help unless they are considered incapable. This all sounds a bit odd to me though with three children a sister and a couple of other relatives, it isn't the police's duty to check on people like this. Sadly it happens all too often but usually people are dead before they are found, sometimes weeks dead and the only clue is the smell and a window full of flies.

You think it is the police's duty, or you don't think it is?

I agree with the rest of your post. We don't know what was wrong with this chap, or if he refused to try to get help, or what. His sister said he liked to be independent so he might have not wanted to get help, or he might have suddenly become ill and not been able to.

If someone can get to a phone, there's always the NHS number if someone doesn't want to dial 999.

It's a problem with anyone who lives alone really, if they don't have much contact with anyone. Even a young healthy person could fall down the stairs, and nobody might know.

My mother in law died, alone, in her home.
She lived four hours away from us, so just popping there wasn't easy.
My sis in law and other half were phoning her from the Wednesday to the Friday - it wasn't unusual for her to not answer the phone though, she'd often ignore it, due to emotional and mental problems.

On the Friday, I rang the police and told them she was on her own and not contactable and asked them to check on her.

They knocked and got no reply so then rang and asked permission to break the door down, which they did, and found her dead.

In this instance the police were brilliant, fast and very sympathetic.