Mother And Disabled Daughter Found Dead After Refusing Help
A woman who died, leaving her disabled daughter apparently to starve to death, had refused the help of social workers, a local authority said today.
The woman, named as Stephanie Wolf, 56, is understood to have died several weeks ago. Her 29-year-old daughter, who was reportedly paralysed from the neck down, was unable to care for herself.
She was found alongside her mother at their in Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, at the weekend. The bodies were partially decomposed.
A spokeswoman for Hertfordshire county council said: “They were known to adult care services but they refused the offer of our services.”
A source at the council said social services still had a duty of care to families who needed help, even if they refused it.
The authority carried out an assessment of Wolf’s home in August 1998. As a result, ramps and rails were fitted to help her daughter, a spokesman said.In March 2006, the council offered Wolf the chance for her daughter to attend a day care centre but this was also refused.
That was the last time the council was in contact with the pair. The council is now reviewing its dealings with the family, the spokesman added.
A police spokeswoman said initial post-mortem examination results showed there were no suspicious circumstances.
Same Difference 