Old-age malnutrition

SIR – You report (February 5) that increasing numbers of NHS patients are recorded as suffering from malnutrition at the time of death.

My mother died on Boxing Day in a wonderful nursing home in Rugby. My visits often coincided with her meal times. I would take over from the carer, and it would often take 30-40 minutes to get half her puréed lunch into her as she was so frail. It is impossible for busy nurses to devote this much time to feeding one patient.

In the Sixties and Seventies my aunt was employed as an auxiliary nurse. Her sole job was to make sure the patients were clean, comfortable and fed. One does not need a nursing degree to help people in this way – just patience and kindness. Eleanor Taylor

Rugby, Warwickshire