A PARALYSED woman whose dead body was discovered in her Sheffield home had not moved from her wheelchair for THREE YEARS, The Star can reveal today.
Housebound Angela Wright, aged 45, who was paralysed from the neck down, had not left her home, had worn the same clothes and was never washed or taken to the toilet for three years. She was covered in faeces and drenched in urine.
Today her son Mark Wright, 20, of Sharrowvale Road, Sharrow, blamed his mum's demise on carers who used to attend to her every need but stopped calling three years ago.
More: JUSTICE FOR ANGELA: 'She never gave up on life'He said her care plan, overseen by Sheffield Council's social services, was cancelled and his mum, who suffered from the neurological movement disorder Dystonia, was left to fend for herself in her bungalow on Totley Brook Road, Totley, without health or care professionals ever checking up on her.
"She was forgotten about - let down by the system - and we want justice for her," he said.
Mark told how he and his younger brother Stephen, 18, would give her food, drink and medication, but she refused to allow them to bathe her.
He said: "She still had her pride and dignity, so all she would let us do was give her food and drinks, and administer medication - she needed professional care.
"The way the care just stopped meant that she was sat in a wheelchair for three years - in the same clothes she was wearing the last time a carer went into the house, without being washed or cleaned up. Those responsible should not be allowed to get away with it."
More: JUSTICE FOR ANGELA: Experts probe house from top to bottom after deathHe said his mum, who used to be a nurse with the Territorial Army before she developed her movement disorder, had battled with Sheffield Council's social services department to get carers back into her house.
There had been repeated meetings over the last year but the issue was never resolved and she was left to languish.
Mark said: "Before her care stopped she used to lead a full life - she would go to Meadow-hall, shopping, the pub, visiting. She never let her disability stop her, but once the carers stopped so did her life.
"She never gave up trying to get her care started again and took her case to the ombudsman but nothing got sorted.
"It is sad that some of her neighbours never knew who she was but it is because she could not leave the house, she was confined to her wheelchair and entirely reliant on professional carers who did not come.
"I want to raise awareness about what happened to my mum because how many other people are out there in this same situation?
"Just because she was disabled, she still had rights and should not have been left to live like this."
He claims paramedics were called out to see Mrs Wright the week before her death when she lost control of her neck, but she was treated at home and there were no further visits from any heath professionals before she died.
It is believed Ms Wright died from blood poisoning but police are investigating the circumstances surrounding her death and an inquest is to be held.
Cath Roff, Sheffield Council acting executive director of neighbourhoods and community care, said: "Ms Wright had very complex needs and we, and a number of other agencies, have worked to support her over the years, although she was not always willing to accept the help that we were trying to provide.
"It's not appropriate for us to say any more about her personal circumstances at this time. The forthcoming inquest is the best place for a full review of the circumstances leading up to Ms Wright's death."
DYSTONIA FACTFILE: Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder which affects around 40,000 in the UK.
It causes involuntary muscle contractions which lead affected parts of the body to develop abnormal movements or postures, with or without tremor.
It can affect every muscle of the body, sometimes the entire body.
Less severe forms of the illness present themselves as writer's cramp or excessive, uncontrollable blinking.
There is no cure for the condition.
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