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

Moment retired nurse previously arrested for trying to take dementia-stricken mother, 97, out of her care home is told to ‘ring up on Monday’ as she expresses fears over her mum’s lips turning blue

  • Ylenia Angeli, 73, was detained after removing her mother from her care home 
  • Tina Thornborough, 97, was removed from their care and returned to care home 
  • In shocking video on Saturday carers seem to dismiss concerns about her health
  • A carer is heard telling her to ‘wait until Monday’ and that she ‘isn’t the manager’
  • Window visit is then cut short as Ylenia begs the carers ‘not to take her away’ 

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. 

Ylenia Angeli's visit was cut short as carers took her mother away

Ylenia Angeli's visit was cut short as carers took her mother away

The carer shut the blinds on Ylenia as she begged her not to take away her mother

The carer shut the blinds on Ylenia as she begged her not to take away her mother

Ylenia Angeli, 73, shared the shocking moment her visit with 97-year-old mother Tina Thornborough was cut short after sharing concerns about her mother’s health with carers 

In the shocking 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'

In the shocking 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'

In the shocking 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’

Ylenia’s battle to see her mother 

August – Leandra Ashton shares concerns on Facebook her grandmother’s health is deteriorating due to lack of visits in care home

November – Ylenia puts in a request to visit the care home where her mother lives. 

November 5 – England’s second lockdown begins.  Regulations state that it is reasonably necessary for someone to leave their home to visit a person staying in a care home if they are a member of that person’s household, a close family member or a friend.

Guidance issued by the Department of Health and Social Care lists a number of ways care homes could allow visitors, including having designated visitor pods with floor-to-ceiling screens and separate entrances.

Ylenia visits care home to see her mother, and is told her request to see her loved-one is denied.

She pushes her way into the care home and hugs her mother for the first time in nine months.

She is later detained by police on suspicion of assault after trying to take her mother out of a care facility and bring her home before lockdown.

She was later filmed in the back of the police care by Leandra – who starred in the ITV soap Coronation Street in 2016.

Footage was posted on Facebook as Ylenia was handcuffed and detained in the back of a police car while her frail mother looks on. 

She was taken to Hull police station before being ‘de-arrested’ and released without charge. 

November 6 – Ylenia and her daughter Leandra give interviews to press, and appear on This Morning.

Speaking on the ITV show, she said: ‘I saw my mother through the window and it broke my heart. I just wanted to hold her and tell her that I love her.’

A Downing Street spokesperson recognised the video showed ‘distressing scenes’, but insisted the rules were there to protect the vulnerable.  

December 2 – Regulations changed after the second lockdown to state that care home visits should be supported and enabled wherever it is possible to do so safely, in line with government guidance.

Ylenia asked for an in-person visit and was told ‘We have no tests’.  She has a private test.

December 3 – Ylenia’s test comes back negative but she is told the care home are waiting for vaccinations before visits are allowed.

December 5 – Ylenia is stunned after carers coldly cut her window visit short after ‘ignoring concerns’ about her mother’s health. 

Leandra posts a second video to Facebook which quickly goes viral.

 

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‘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. 

Ylenia Angeli cracked when she arrived with daughter Leandra for their last care home 'window visit' before the new lockdown (pictured together previously)

Ylenia Angeli cracked when she arrived with daughter Leandra for their last care home 'window visit' before the new lockdown (pictured together previously)

Ylenia Angeli cracked when she arrived with daughter Leandra for their last care home ‘window visit’ before the new lockdown (pictured together previously)

Tina Thornborough, now 97, pictured with her husband and their daughter Ylenia as a baby

Tina Thornborough, now 97, pictured with her husband and their daughter Ylenia as a baby

Tina Thornborough, now 97, pictured with her husband and their daughter Ylenia as a baby  

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. 

What are the rules on visiting care homes? 

From December 2, regulations stated that visiting should be supported and enabled wherever it is possible to do so safely, in line with government guidance.  

All care homes – regardless of Tier – and except in the event of an active outbreak – should seek to enable: 

  • Indoor visits where the visitor has been tested and returned a negative result 
  • Below outdoor visiting and ‘screened’ visits

Care home managers are best placed to decide how visits should happen in their own setting in a way that meets the needs of their residents both individually and collectively. 

In all cases it is essential that visiting happens within a wider care home environment of robust Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures, including ensuring that visitors follow (and are supported to follow) good practice with social distancing, hand hygiene and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) use. 

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‘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… 

Leandra Ashton, pictured with her grandmother, briefly appeared on Coronation Street during 2016 as Saskia Larson, the fiancee of Will Chatterton, played by Leon Ockenden

Leandra Ashton, pictured with her grandmother, briefly appeared on Coronation Street during 2016 as Saskia Larson, the fiancee of Will Chatterton, played by Leon Ockenden

Leandra Ashton briefly appeared on Coronation Street during 2016 as Saskia Larson, the fiancee of Will Chatterton, played by Leon Ockenden

Leandra Ashton briefly appeared on Coronation Street during 2016 as Saskia Larson, the fiancee of Will Chatterton, played by Leon Ockenden

Leandra Ashton, pictured with her grandmother, briefly appeared on Coronation Street during 2016 as Saskia Larson, the fiancee of Will Chatterton, played by Leon Ockenden 

Police were called and handcuffed Ylenia before placing her in the back of a patrol car (above) and taking her to the station

Police were called and handcuffed Ylenia before placing her in the back of a patrol car (above) and taking her to the station

Police were called and handcuffed Ylenia before placing her in the back of a patrol car (above) and taking her to the station 

‘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. 

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