Elderly rape victim: 'Council betrayed me and left me to rot'

AUTHORITY SORRY FOR 'NOT PROVIDING THE RIGHT CARE SOONER' AFTER RELEASE FROM HOSPITAL

- By BEN LYNCH Local democracy reporter

A FRAIL elderly woman says she was raped after turning to strangers online for help because care was not put in place by her local council when she came out of hospital.

The woman, who we are naming Samantha to retain her anonymity due to the claim of rape, said she had requested urgent care from Hammersmith and Fulham Council, having been sent home from hospital.

Samantha needs help with basic personal care due to her frailties but she was told she would have to fill out a self-referral form, which she was unable to do.

Desperate, she turned to the internet and organised to have three individuals come and stay, which she said led to the assault.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "I felt devastated. I felt confused. I had paid my taxes for 50 years after working hard and I believed in the social contract but they betrayed me and left me to rot."

A spokesperson for Hammersmith and Fulham Council apologised for not providing "the right care sooner", and said the local authority is reviewing its referral process and providing additional staff training to ensure services are accessible.

Samantha, who has multiple disabilities and is ranked as a five on the Rockwood Clinical Frailty Scale by the NHS, was released from hospital earlier this year and returned to her London flat. She subsequently called Adult Social Care at Hammersmith and Fulham to request urgent support.

She had previously been assessed as needing care by the council though had not required it due to having a family member on-hand to help. The family member, however, was not available when Samantha returned home from hospital and so the urgent care was necessary.