Nursing

Gerontology

World Wide Web

Computer security

Computer science

Business

Internet privacy

Vulnerability (computing)

Psychology

Political science

Neglect

Dementia

Social care

Medicine

Scrutiny

Disease

Pathology

Ellen Ash was an elderly woman with severe dementia, who lived in Glasgow. She died in 2013 after she was smothered and her house was set on fire. Her son, Jeffrey, went to the police the next day to confess to both.1 He was her carer and seems to have been under immense stress.Social care is under intense pressure but also scrutiny. Over the past few months this complex case has been discussed at wide ranging, interdisciplinary meetings involving health and social care staff. In Scotland, social and health care are integrated in law. But in practice?In the months before her death Ash was admitted to hospital for various reasons, including hypothermia, and with an area of necrotic tissue. “Neglect” and “vulnerability” were mentioned in her case notes. After her death a …

Margaret McCartney: The social care system has become inherently unsafe