Following concerns about the changing behavior of their 89-year-old grandmother, Beryl Wall, and noticing bruises on her face and wrists, sisters Danielle Hinsley and Rebecca decided to take action and gather evidence. They hid a camera in a photo frame in her room at a Wolverhampton care home where she was living, capturing footage over four days in February 2020. Shockingly, it showed care workers shouting in Mrs. Wall’s face, making fun of her, holding her legs in the air, and hitting her face with a pillow.
The footage was handed over to the Care Quality Commission, the police, and care home managers. Four care workers were ultimately convicted for the abuse. Ame Tunkara, Morounranti Adefila, Danny Ohen, and Bridget Aideyan were sentenced to jail at the end of 2023. Three of the convicted workers were from an agency, and one was a permanent member of staff.
The family chose not to name the care home, which is now under new management. While the family stated that other members of staff had been “amazing” and had taken great care of Mrs. Wall, only some of the care workers were responsible for her abuse.
The family was pleased that their evidence had led to convictions, though seeing their grandmother subjected to such mistreatment broke their hearts. Danielle shared that her grandmother had declined after the abuse occurred, and the family believes Mrs Wall waited for the court trial to come to an end. She passed away in October 2022.
Without the footage captured on the camera, it is unlikely that the abuse would have come to light. Detective Constable Kathryn Sargent stated that Mrs. Wall did “not have a voice” due to her dementia and that without the video evidence, it would not have been discovered, let alone proven.
The family feels justice has been done, although only four out of a total of eight care workers were convicted. They hope that their story will raise awareness of the importance of checking on elderly relatives and ensuring their safety in care homes
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