Leeds family's anguish over hospital care for mum with Alzheimer's

Marjorie Follon's family said the 85-year-old deteriorated after hip surgery and stopped eating and drinking

The care received by a woman, 85, who died after breaking her hip in a hospital fall did not meet NHS "high standards", a health trust has said.

The family of Marjorie Follon, who had Alzheimer's, said she was let down by her treatment and rapidly lost weight.

Her daughter said her 85-year-old mum's progressive condition meant she could not speak up and ask for help herself.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust offered its "sincere condolences" to Mrs Follon's family.

Mrs Follon, from Halton in Leeds, was admitted to St James' Hospital on 4 April after becoming agitated, disorientated and aggressive at home.

After she suffered a fall at the hospital, her family said they were told she was "fine".

However, Mrs Follon's relatives pushed for an X-ray to be carried out which subsequently showed she had a broken hip.

Mrs Follon was later moved to Leeds General Infirmary for hip surgery, but she "deteriorated over three weeks" and "stopped eating and drinking", her daughter said.

She was moved to a nursing home and died shortly afterwards.

Angela Spencer (r), pictured with Marjorie Follon's granddaughter Vicky Keenaghan, says she was left "absolutely devastated" by the care her mother received

Mrs Follon's family has criticised the level of care and dignity she received in hospital.

On one occasion, excrement was found "on her bed rail and on her nails", they said.

Her daughter, Angela Spencer, said: "She would have been so humiliated and upset. That wasn't my mum, she looked after people.

"To think they hadn't had time to check if she'd been to the toilet and just been left is not right."

Mrs Spencer, who described her mother as a "very caring lady who would do anything for anybody", added: "A lot of people with Alzheimer's and dementia don't have a voice."

Lisa Grant, chief nurse at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "The standard of care experienced by Mrs Follon did not reach the high standards we aim to provide for all our patients."

An investigation into the circumstances of Mrs Follon's fall had been carried out, she added.

"The outcome and actions resulting from this investigation have been shared with Mrs Follon's family."

The findings of the investigation had also been shared with its teams, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said.