By Eve Beattie

Copyright dailyrecord

Two sisters have slammed a scandal-hit care home after their vulnerable mum was left looking like a “concentration camp victim”. Dementia-stricken Barbara Coull’s daughters Justine Robertson and Lesley Anne Thorpe say they were so terrified for the safety of the 86-year-old that they checked on her every day at Castlehill Care Home in Inverness . The grieving loved ones, both retired nurses, say Barbara, who passed away in March 2025, endured terrible neglect in her final months. Justine, 63 and Lesley Anne, 62, are speaking out after a hidden-camera investigation into the home found residents left in soiled bed sheets for hours, ignored when crying out for help, and left with little stimulation despite fees of up to £1,800 a week. Speaking to the Record , Justine explained: “Mum lost so much weight before she died. Staff had changed her weigh-ins from weekly to monthly, but we weren’t sure why. “They told us she had been refusing everything they tried to give her to eat and drink, but we would give her lollies and water and she would take them right away. “Sometimes she would look at us and you could see her eyes were just saying ‘help me’. We have pictures we took of her in May and again in August. “By that time, she looked like someone who had come from a concentration camp.” The sisters reported that on one occasion , Barbara spent over 36 hours in bed without being moved due to staffing shortages. But Justine claims the home said her mum was left their for her own safety. She continued: “The nurse we spoke to said they were concerned about Mum’s safety and getting her in and out of bed due to staff shortages. But we don’t know if she was changed during that time or even moved. She would have been stiff and sore. “And how many other times did she spend a long time in bed? We just don’t know.” On another occasion, Justine and Lesley Anne report finding Barbara, who was deaf and non-verbal, distressed in bed and naked from the waist down. Justine added: “We got to mum’s room. Her door was shut and the curtains were drawn. “It was dark and mum was deaf and had poor vision. She was sitting clutching her blanket up to her face, looking terrified. “She had no pyjama bottoms on, so she was sitting with no dignity.” Justine said the sisters attended every visit together and would often sit outside in the car, bracing themselves for what state their mum would be in when they went inside. Justine said: “My sister and I would sit in the carpark and have to build ourselves up to have the strength to go in. It was just devastating and awful sit and watch your mum like that. “You want to think you can trust people to care for your loved ones. These vulnerable people. It was just awful. So terrible.” After an investigation into Barbara’s care, the Inspectorate upheld complaints around that her care plan was not reflective of her support needs and included many inaccuracies, and that the home did not always communicate professionally or effectively with the family. Reacting to the outcome, Lesley Anne added: “There were repeated failures across the board. We had to fight for mum’s every basic need.” After leaving Castlehill, Barbara was rehomed at Daviot Care Home, where she finally received proper care. However, she sadly died within five weeks – a common outcome for dementia patients following stressful relocations. Castlehill Care Home, run by Morar Living, has recently faced extensive scrutiny after a BBC undercover journalist discovered residents were being severley neglected. One vulnerable person was even filmed being violently shaken in bed, while another went over 12 hours in an incontinence pad without support. Families described the home as “cruel” and “neglectful.” Regulators confirmed Castlehill had more upheld complaints than any other Scottish care home last year and had been placed under special measures. Morar Living insists improvements have since been made. A spokesperson said: “The safety, health and wellbeing of residents remains our absolute priority. “We have appointed a Clinical Lead, replaced contract staff with permanent employees, introduced robust supervision systems, and invested over £1 million in refurbishments.” For Justine and Lesley Anne, however, these changes came too late. They said: “The horror of mum’s treatment at Castlehill will never be forgotten. “We hope sharing our story highlights serious failings in the care sector and protects other vulnerable residents.” A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: “Everyone in Scotland has the right to high quality, safe and compassionate care which meets their needs and respects their choices. “We take all concerns raised with us seriously and consider all information given to us carefully. “A number of concerns have been raised with us in relation to Castlehill Care Home and we have upheld complaints in relation to this service. “We continue to have concerns about the care experienced by residents and we are monitoring the home closely. “The report and any further recommendations for areas of improvement is available on our website. “We remain committed to improvements in the care that people experience at this home. “We will not hesitate to take further action where it is required.” A spokesperson for Castlehill Care Home said: “The complaints made by the family during Mrs Coull’s residency were fully investigated by the home at the time and corrective action taken as a matter of urgency, before the involvement of the Care Inspectorate. “We acknowledge there were failings in aspects of the care provided, for which we apologise.”