Shocking moment dementia-stricken is removed from window visit as daughter begs carers

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A woman who was arrested for taking dementia-stricken mother out of her care home has shared the shocking moment carers coldly cut her window visit short after ‘ignoring concerns’ about her health. 

Ylenia Angeli, 73, was detained by police on suspicion of assault last month after trying to take her 97-year-old mother Tina Thornborough out of the Northgate House care home in Riding, East Yorkshire, and bring her home before lockdown.  

In a shocking new video posted to Facebook Saturday, a concerned Ylenia told a carer she feared for her mother’s health, that her ‘lips are blue and her breathing is too fast’, but was quickly dismissed and told to ‘ring up on Monday’ because the carer ‘isn’t a manager’. 

As she continued to express her concerns, the carer spoke over Ylenia and promptly took away her mother and closed the blinds as her daughter begged repeatedly ‘hang on a minute don’t take her away, don’t take her away’. 

Speaking to FEMAIL, Ylenia’s daughter Leandra Ashton – who starred in the ITV soap Coronation Street – lashed out at the ‘so-called carers’ who are ‘wielding the power they’ve been given. 

MailOnline has contacted Northgate House care home for comment. 

‘We’re still in the same situation,’ she said. ‘With my grandmother imprisoned in the care home and us not able to get her out. The government guidelines are not sufficient – care homes are still keeping their doors closed. 

‘I think the problem is that the wrong people have been given power and that power has gone to their heads. 

‘Look at how some of these care home workers are treating the residents! These so-called carers are wielding the power they’ve been given.

‘There’s a terrible lack of leadership everywhere right now – from the government through to the care home managers. We are being led by fear, not by love. People are hiding behind rules and regulations rather than doing what’s right as a human being. 

Leandra went on to rage against the lack of training carers receive, claiming the carer who spoke to her mother had ‘no people skills at all’. 

‘Most care home workers are on minimum wage, they’re given minimum training and are totally lacking in communication skills. Did you see how the carer spoke to my mother during the window visit? No people skills at all. 

‘I think that, ultimately, the care home issue could uproot all the corruption. What’s happening in care homes is shining a light on it all – the deception and the corruption. 

‘People may disagree about mask-wearing and tier systems, but EVERYONE – without a shadow of a doubt – agrees that what’s happening in care homes is wrong and inhumane.’  

In the video posted to Facebook, the carer told Ylenia ‘She’s smiling’, after expressing her worry about her mothers pale and sunken appearance. 

‘Can I tell you for the record’, said Ylenia, ‘Her colour is very poor, she’s quite blue around the lips and her breathing is quite fast and to me that is a cause for concern.’ 

‘Like I say we’ve not had any concerns’, replied the carer. 

‘I know but you never do have concerns for her’, Ylenia argued back, ‘With respect you don’t, I understand you’re doing your best, but I can see my mother is not well just by looking at her through the window.’ 

‘All I can suggest is you ring up on Monday morning’, the carer replied to which a desperate Ylenia said: ‘That’s two whole days away!’ 

‘Like I say i’m not the manager’, the carer responded. 

Ylenia tried to reply, but the carer spoke over her as she continued to give her concerns, before promptly wheeling her mother away and shutting the blinds in her face as he begs: ‘Hang on a minute don’t take her away, don’t take her away, don’t take her away you b*****’. 

Sharing the heartbreaking video, Leandra explained that her mother had paid for a private test in order to visit her grandmother, but was still unable to physically see her due to the care home’s policy and agreed to an ‘inhumane’ window visit. 

Leandra penned: ‘New guidelines right? We can all see our loved ones if we have a negative test right?

‘On Dec 2nd my Mum asked for an in-person visit and was told ‘We have no tests’. Don’t worry, replied my Mum, I’ll get one done. 

‘The next day, having been tested she emailed a negative test result. This was met with another no: ‘We’re waiting for vaccinations before visiting can take place’.

The only option? Another inhumane window visit. Today, at the end of her 10 minute ‘visit’, kneeling on concrete by the window trying to connect with my Nan, my Mum raised concerns with the care assistant about how my Nan was looking. This is the response she was greeted with… 

‘Social care needs a revolution. How we care for our elderly says a lot about who we are as a society. How we care for distraught relatives says a lot too.’ 

Angeli was detained by police in November after forcing her way into the home and removing her mother who she had not hugged for nine months because of the pandemic.

In distressing footage posted online, Angeli was seen being handcuffed and detained in the back of a police car in Market Weighton, East Yorkshire, while her frail mother looked on.

Humberside Police later said they had been responding to reports of an assault and Ylenia was subsequently de-arrested and allowed home. Mrs Thornborough was later returned to the care home.