83 Year Old Grandfather Arrested

[grumpy01]

Was there a sadder case in the papers today? Walter Crompton was arrested for administering a noxious substance.His crime?To take morphine patches,which had been prescribed by the doctor,to apply to the skin of his Wife of 63 years to relieve her pain from chronic arthritis.The poor woman suffers from Dementia and when arrested he was banned completely from seeing her and she therefore thought he had abandoned her.Pity Greater Manchester police weren't as zealous with some other criminals.

[Baldric]

I just had a look at the Mail (paper, not link) in there it states he's been her carer for 15 years before she went into the home, and
///had been giving his wife the patches SHE had been prescribed by a Doctor for more than 6 years///
maybe not such a bad guy after all?

[pixie373]

Why did he not speak to the staff then? He may not be bad- but dangerously daft. Why weren't the home administering them?

[ummmm]

He's 83...

[Baldric]

If she'd been treated with them, by him, for 6 years, what suddenly makes them/him dangerous?

//Why weren't the home administering them?// good question.

[pixie373]

Yes.

[pixie373]

Sorry- that was to ummmm. How does he know what she is now being given? Why has he not spoken to staff? Who is going to monitor the side effects/change the patch/ let the GP know/ record dosages (2 staff for controlled meds). I think he would have let them know if he was genuinely unaware of the dangers.
can you imagine this reported from the other side...
"Home allows visitors to administer dangerous drugs to dementia clients. And does nothing..."?

[Gromit]

His bail conditions have now been changed so that he can visit his wife - but he must be accompanied by a Social Worker.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/walter-crompton-allendale-care-blackley-6947988

Sounds like he was not happy with the care his wife was getting, particularly the change in her medications. If he saw his wife was in pain, but they were not giving her anything for it, then he acted as any loving husband would. It must be frustrating to have looked after someone all your life, to see third parties (who are very well paid) do a bad job of caring for your loved one.

[pixie373]

I can understand that, gromit. And he should have moved her, if the manager was unhelpful. If she had been admitted to hospital, her records would not show she was on morphine- she could easily have been overdosed- or by the home. Being underhand isn't helpful.

[Baldric]

If I ever make that age I sincerely hope there will be someone around who cares that much for me.
One thing I do know, it won't be the care home staff, that's a fact!

[ummmm]

At 83 he might be easily confused as well. My granddad at that age found it extremely hard to make himself understood and to understand, which in turn made him very frustrated.

[pixie373]

I hope you're in safer hands than that, baldric. Doesn't sound like it, ummmm. Deliberate and hidden from what i can tell.

[Gromit]

He is between a rock and a hard place though.
She tells him she is in pain and that they have not given her anything to relieve it. When he asks, he is told her usual codeine medicine is not being prescribed. He is obviously going to try and help his wife.

[pixie373]

Of course - but that was a dangerous way to try.

[Mosaic]

Certainly seems like a hammer to crack a nut, which makes me wonder.....
Care home staff not aware of medical needs? Could be.
Old gent not aware of dangers of swopping prescription meds? Very likely.
Old lady putting pressure on family to go outwith what she's been prescribed and given? I experienced this from my own parent, and it's a tough call.
Old gent working out how to bump off his wife? There, I went and said it. It's a possibility.

I think what everyone's agreed on is that arresting and detaining a 83 year chap makes you feel angry and bitter when real thugs are let to walk free. Let's face it, said gent is hardly likely to go on the run for very long if someone had sat him down and explained firmly that he was doing something potentially dangerously illegal.

[Graham-W]

The care home should have been informed about both the Codeine and Morphine. Both are addictive and, after 6 years of treatment, sudden withdrawal could be a dangerous thing.
As others have said, there's more to this than meets the eye.

[pixie373]

Yes. I might add that care homes cannot prescribe or discontinue medication themselves - only with GP authorisation.

[Old_Geezer]

I've yet to look at the link but:

It amazes me that professionals in a care/health industry do not liaise with the others to ensure correct action is taken. What is in the minds of the care home that they ban the codeine that the individual's own doctor has prescribed ? (Never mind the patches.) If allowed in a private house they ought not be stopped simply because they've moved into a home. A little common sense and the situation would not have arisen. The more I hear of authority the more I despair.

[pixie373]

OG, see my post above. I ran a dementia unit in a home for 15 years. I think there are a few things missing from the report.
Either the home has acted illegally and irresponsibly- or the husband is mistaken. As he has been arrested and they haven't (at this point), it does appear to be his mistake.

[Gromit]

He was arrested but he will not be charged with anything because he hasn't done anything illegal. It may be against the care home rules to not allow those drugs, but if her GP has prescribed them for her, then it cannot be illegal for her to have them.

The Care Home were refusing to comment, so they have something to hide. He has highlighted their poor level of care and they have got a heap of bad publicity, so hopefully the old lady will be moved out of there by mutual consent.

[pixie373]

It's confidential. I wouldn't comment on a lady with dementia to the press. It appears the GP has stopped them- or the home would be giving them. Something doesn't add up. The protocol for medication is very strict. It doesn't involve a relative turning up and saying "give her these". I believe he was arrested for giving her something toxic, which doesn't add up to a current prescription?