The family of Jean Lochrane hid a camera in a clock to capture the stomach turning abuse at Eastbank Nursing Home in which the victim would scream “please help me God”
Two care workers were caught on a hidden camera abusing a pensioner before being struck off.
Diana Otobohu and Bisola Akindein were convicted and ordered to do 216 hours of community service earlier this year after they pleaded guilty to neglecting an OAP in their care.
It was after a “gut instinct” from the family that made them believe the female pensioner was being neglected before they hid a device in a clock to capture the abuse. It found Otobohu and Akindein were mistreating Jean Lochrane at Eastbank Nursing Home in Shettleston, Scotland.
In a report from Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) it explained how Otobohu ill treated or wilfully neglected Jean while in her care. It said that she “failed to maintain appropriate manual handling techniques” and how she would “repeatedly wrap the cord of the nurse call alarm” in order to put it out of the patient’s reach, Glasgow Live reports.
She was also found to “repeatedly ignore” call alarms, ignore her shouts for help to use a commode, and move her bed away from the wall therefore stopping her from being able to reach the nurse call alarm.
Otobohu also removed the entire nurse call page from the wall, placing Jean “at risk of injury and preventing her from summoning assistance”. The SSSC said the offence was aggravated by prejudice relating to disability in terms of Section 1 of the Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act 2009.
Speaking at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Jean’s daughter-in-law Angela said she was seen screaming in the footage. She added: “Jean was screaming ‘Please God help me, someone please help me’. The effects of what happened have been long lasting.”
The SSSC report noted Otobohu has been “dealing with a lot emotionally” in the run up to the ordeal in October 2022, but there has been “no remediation”.
It added: “Your actions caused the supported person distress and risked causing them both emotional and physical harm in a place where they ought to feel safest. The behaviour is extremely serious given it displays a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of a vulnerable person you were entrusted to look after.
“It was an isolated incident but if the behaviour were to be repeated, would place other vulnerable people at risk of harm.”
A spokesman for Eastbank Care Home, owned by HC-One said at the time of conviction: “We are clear this should never have happened, and again extend our sincere apologies to Ms Lochrane and her family.”
