WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE: Daughter 'horrified' by mum's bedsores after stay at Thamesmead care home

The daughter of an elderly Greenwich woman was "horrified" when her mother was admitted to hospital "dirty and unkempt" and suffering from pressure sores, after staying at a Thamesmead care home.

Angela Powell, 55, has spoken about the "appalling" final stages of her mother's life, who told her "if I don't wake up tomorrow morning, it would be the best thing".

Now, Mrs Powell wants to prevent other families from going through the same experience.

Magdaline Aza had been receiving palliative care at Gallions View nursing home for just over a month when she was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital by paramedics on March 4.

The Bupa-run facility, in Pier Way, was given "requires improvement" status after its last CQC inspection on March 19.

When she was admitted to hospital with multiple sores - the worst of which was a grade four - Mrs Aza was "dirty and unkempt and her hair was matted", according to a safeguarding investigation carried out by Greenwich Council.

Mrs Powell, a civil servant who lives in South Norwood, told News Shopper: "I don't want any other family going through what I have.

"It's something that will stay with me till the day I die."

Magdaline Aza, who was known to local in Greenwich as Mary.

After seeing her mother "in an awful state" and documenting her injuries, Mrs Powell broke down in tears.

Mrs Powell, who praised the work of the ambulance staff, added: "We didn't expect to send our mother into a home thinking she's going to be treated like that.

"You don't want that for someone whose worked hard and brought children up - it’s appalling.

"She looked better, healthier and lovelier in her coffin than when she was in Gallions View."

Formerly a shopkeeper and known to locals as Mary, Mrs Aza died on March 23 aged 88, surrounded by family, after spending six days in a hospice.

The report concluded the pressures sores she was admitted to hospital with "must have occurred whilst Mrs Aza was resident at Gallions View Nursing Home", despite Bupa saying she left the home with only two grade two sores.

Mrs Aza had entered Gallions View in January suffering from a grade two sore on her sacral area - at the base of her spine - which, by the time she was admitted to hospital, had escalated to grade four.

But Bupa insists her injuries were not a result of its care.

Angela Powell and her mother Magdaline on her 88th birthday at Gallions View.

A spokeswoman for the home said: "Mrs Aza entered the home with a pressure sore which we reported to the local authority, and managed with support from external professionals including the local GP and tissue viability nurse.

"An additional pressure sore developed, which was also managed with support from these external professionals.

"Despite all of our staff knowing our documentation procedure, it was not followed, so we have strengthened our processes and delivered extra training and focused supervisions with all nursing staff.

"Our residents health and well-being is always our number one priority."

A spokeswoman for Greenwich Council said the local authority "operates robust safeguarding procedures at all times".

She told News Shopper: "The report on this Bupa-run home was produced as part of an investigation to which we responded quickly in order to put improvements in place.

"We will continue to work closely with the Care Quality Commission to help ensure we keep vulnerable people safe."