Call for new law after carer steals from home of Alzheimer's patient

A woman left devastated after a carer looking after her husband who has advanced Alzheimer's stole from them is calling for tougher checks to spare others suffering the same ordeal. Louise Woollam, 62, from Shillingstone, Dorset, hired a private carer to look after her husband Richard in November 2023.

Struggling with the anguish of seeing the love of her life transformed by a cruel brain disorder, flight attendant Mrs Woollam sought a carer to take over when she couldn't be by his side. A former pilot with 16 years of service in the RAF and a career flying for Dan Air, Mr Goodman, 78, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in May 2020.

Without qualifying for help from social services, Mrs Woollam had to search for someone to take on the role, having had no previous experience navigating England's care system.

When Rachel Goodman arrived at the Woollams' door in November 2023, Mrs Woollam was impressed at her empathy and how "great" she was with her husband. At one point, Goodman even cried with her when Mrs Goodman was upset.

Goodman presented all the right paperwork too - a clean Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) certificate, carers insurance and a driving licence, meaning she would be able to take Mr Woollam to appointments.

But before long things started to go missing. At first small items disappeared - a pot of face cream, a bottle of fabric conditioner, packs of butter. Then a throw and some bedding.

Mrs Woollam said: "Over Christmas I became more uncomfortable with her. I was about to go to work one day and thought to myself I need to move my jewellery and realised someone had already done it."

Fearing the worst, Mrs Woollam searched Rachel Goodman's name on the internet and was horrified to discover the woman she trusted to care for her loved one was a convicted criminal with 13 previous offences.

Within just weeks of letting her into their home, Goodman stole Mrs Woollam's late mother's engagement ring, a 200-year-old family heirloom, jewellery given as gifts by Mr Woollam and foreign currency collected over a lifetime of travel.

Mrs Woollam said: "I felt so stupid. I thought I had done my due diligence. I felt really freaked out knowing this woman had been in my home, caring for my husband and then rifling through my home. It made me feel sick.

"It's really difficult to tell what Richard had seen. It's horrible just thinking about it. Your home is supposed to be your safe place."

Goodman was found guilty of theft in July and received a 12-month suspended sentence at Weymouth magistrates.

But she is still free to work as a carer because of a gap in the law which means carers in England don't have to be professionally regulated, registered or subject to enhanced DBS checks to work in someone's home. Unlike in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Mrs Woollam said: "The whole system needs to be overhauled and made safer. There should be a mechanism to bar unsafe carers. The law is not protecting vulnerable families."

There are an estimated 982,000 people with dementia in the UK, according to the Alzheimer's Society. By 2040, it is projected to affect 1.4 million people as Britain's ageing population continues to grow.

Now Mrs Woollam is campaigning for enhanced DBS checks for private carers, a national regulator, minimum accredited training, a ban on those convicted of offences and for the same rules in England as the other UK nations.

Named after her husband, a petition on Change.org calling for Richard's Law has to date gained almost 30,000 signatures.

Mrs Woollam said: "People need to know the law is on their side. It's stressful enough looking after someone with dementia.

"I can't tell you how awful it is to see the love of your life going downhill. Add to that the paperwork, stress and misinformation out there when trying to navigate the care system.

"I'm not going to let this drop. This is about stopping criminals slipping through the cracks and caring for the most vulnerable in our society."

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director for Age UK, said: "[We] support the idea of a register of care staff as part of a broader effort to professionalise this important workforce, on whom so many vulnerable older people depend, and we hope Baroness Casey will consider it as part of the Commission into the future of social care which she is leading.

"The vast majority of care staff are honest and kind and have only the best interests of their clients at heart but inevitably, as in any walk of life, there are a few for whom this is not the case and we need a better way of spotting them and holding them to account. A register wouldn't achieve this on its own but it could be part of the solution."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "This is a shocking case and our thoughts are with Mr and Mrs Woollam.

"We are committed to reforming adult social care and have launched an Independent Commission chaired by Baroness Casey which will make clear recommendations on how we can deliver a National Care Service and a social care system fit for the future."