War veteran dies after 1.5st weight loss in care home

● ‘He drank when I gave him juice and he said he was hungry’, says close friend

A 94-year-old Second World War veteran died after he lost a stone-and-a-half in a month at a failing council care home.

A skeletal-looking Malcolm Muirhead was taken from Drumbrae care home in Edinburgh and admitted to the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, on 14 May, where he died a week later.

A social work report said he “had lost a significant amount of weight” and noted he was only being washed once a week in a sink, having previously fallen from a chair in his shower area.

It also raised concerns that he was wearing a “dirtied jumper” with food stains on it, had bloated feet, overgrown nails and infected toes.

The care home had been banned from taking in any more residents after inspectors flagged up a series of concerns, including poorly trained staff and errors being made with medicines.

Hamidkhosrowpour,aclose friend of Mr Muirhead, who was a widower with no children, said he was not made aware the home was closed to new admissions.

It was only when a social work report raised serious concerns about Mr Muirhead and he was moved to hospital that Mr Khosrowpour learned

0 An emaciated-looking war veteran Malcolm Muirhead, 94 of the ban on new residents.

Concerned by his friend’s health, he demanded that a GP was called in and Mr Muirhead was admitted to hospital.

Mr Khosrowpour said: “When I asked they said Malcolm doesn’t show any interest in eating or drinking. He drank when I gave him juice and he said he was hungry.

“On May 14 the doctor went in to see Malcolm. He sent him to hospital because he was badly dehydrated and needed fluid. When he went into hospital the doctor said he couldn’t find a vein. His body was full of infection. In two days they gave him seven bags of fluid and said still they couldn’t hydrate him.”

Mr Khosrowpour, a retired takeaway owner whose children called Mr Muirhead “grandpa”, called for immediate improvements to be made to the home to safeguard those living there.

He said: “People in this place are vulnerable and need help.”

The Care Inspectorate report was published in March, following a visit to the home in December.

It demanded that the home meet a legal requirement to “ensure that residents at risk of not eating or drinking enough receive sufficient help to reduce the risk of poor nutrition and dehydration”.

The report also warned that staff lacked knowledge or skills in a number of key areas.

Judith Proctor, chief officer of the Edinburgh Health and Social Care partnership, said: “We take all inspection reports and feedback from service users and their families very seriously and investigate all complaints raised.”