Drumchapel family's rage at care home treatment

Questions are being asked over the welfare of former roofer Edward Murphy, 85, who has lived in the home since 2007.

Relatives insist they have lost count of how many times they have visited Edward to find him covered in his own faeces.

Mr Murphy’s case has been before the Care Commission twice — and inspectors have substantiated the majority of the family’s concerns.

However, the pensioner’s grandson and granddaughter say that their worries are still being ignored.

Glasgow City Council, which runs Drumry House, dispute the claims and argue that the care home has been given a good rating by the Care Inspectorate.

The problems allegedly began immediatly after Mr Murphy moved in — the room was unclean, plumbing problems were not being fixed and the OAP was exposed to faulty and dangerous electrics.

His family have said they were once unable to visit Mr Murphy for five days due to heavy snow. But when they did reach him they discovered Edward lying in his bed soaked in urine and writhing in pain.

Later it was discovered no doctor had been called until family had flagged up the incident to care home staff — five days after the accident. The frail pensioner had staved his arm.

Relatives claim staff also failed to report skin cancer growing on the grandfather’s face and say how they were forced take him to the hospital themselves before he was officially diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of cancer.

As Mr Murphy’s condition worsened he began soiling himself — and family say staff have failed to keep him clean almost every single time they visit.

The family also showed the Clydebank Post pictures of clothes and towels they discovered covered in Mr Murphy’s room covered in faeces.

Grandson Don Jackson, 42, said: “Enough is enough. My grandfather was a well respected man, he was always dressed well — suited and booted — you never seen him in dirty, ragged clothes.

“So to see him like this in Drumry House — it’s not right.

“Any family member wouldn’t stand for this if it happened to their own, something has to be done. It’s disgusting, it shouldn’t happen.” ***** DRUMCHAPEL MSP Bill Kidd is “urgently” following up claims from a pensioner’s family that he is not being cared for properly at a residential home.

Don Jackson, grandson of 85-year-old Edward Murphy, recently contacted us after the family’s years of complaining about the service in Drumry House care home.

Records show several complaints to the Care Inspectorate and West Glasgow Community Health and Care Partnership going back to 2008.

While some positive changes have been made, 42-year-old Don claims they are still shocked when visiting the frail pensioner.

The family have shown the Clydebank Post pictures of faeces smeared over clothes, furniture and bedding. One photograph displays dirt and rubbish, and another shows the same patch of mess untouched months later.

We have also obtained copies of reports from the Care Inspectorate, which show that officers have investigated Mr Murphy’s case twice and found the majority of the family’s claims to be substantiated.

Don, who is from Drumchapel but currently lives in London, cancelled an operation on his brain tumour to come to check on Edward.

He told of his horror at seeing his dishevelled grandfather in Drumry House.

Don said: “On entering Drumry House my grandad was sitting out in the hall sleeping on a chair. He was heavily soiled and had been wearing the same clothes for three days.

“We noticed a grey t-shirt under his table on top of his shoes folded up — this was full of excrement that had dried in.

“We got him undressed and showered and into clean clothes, but isn’t that something the care home said they would do?” That day the family counted more than 40 items of clothing covered in dried up faeces that had been hung up in wardrobes and were apparently considered clean.

“It’s made me angry — it’s made the whole family very angry,” Don said.

“It’s been too much for my sister, she’s been overwhelmed by it all. My mother’s been fed incorrect information from the home. That’s where I had to step in.

Drumchapel MSP Bill Kidd said: “I am very concerned after receiving these reports of serious concerns from Edward Murphy’s family and will be following up on these urgently, in the first instance with Drumry House and then with the Minister for Community Health should that prove necessary.

“Elderly and vulnerable people need the support of everyone in the community and I’m very worried at these reports that this support has broken down in Mr Murphy’s case.” A spokesman for the Care Inspectorate confirmed that Drumry House had been investigated three times.

He added: “We take all concerns raised with us very seriously and have informed the service of areas which need to be improved where necessary.

“We continue to work closely with this service to ensure residents’ needs are met and their rights respected.

“All concerns raised with us help us to plan our inspections and to work closely with care services to ensure care in Scotland continues to improve.” A spokesman for Glasgow City Council, which runs the care home, disputed the family’s claims.

He said: “Drumry House is a well run care home and receives very positive gradings from the Care Inspectorate.

“Concerns about specific care arrangements have been investigated and have either been quickly resolved or found to be unsubstantiated.

“All residents have detailed care plans and all staff are committed to ensuring the best possible care for those who live in the home.

“Older people in care can sometimes be challenging in their behaviour, but staff will always seek to manage this appropriately and sensitively.

“Staff cannot physically restrain someone, or compel them to do something against their will, and are instead trained in techniques which promote positive interventions with service users.” Mr Murphy’s granddaughter, who lives locally, wishes to remain anonymous. She told how she thinks the root of the problem is that the care home is extremely understaffed.

She has complained so much that she claims staff now follow her around Drumry House while she visits — so much so that she feels intimidated when going to see Edward.

His granddaughter said: “I’ve always spoken on behalf of Edward. That was confirmed with all relevant authorities at the time. I’ve always spoken on his behalf as he doesn’t have the capacity to do that or understand — and that’s the reason I contacted the Clydebank Post. He’s oblivious to whats going on. He’s not got the capacity to speak up for himself.

“We’re not making this up. We’re not doing this for the good of our health. It’s no surprise to me that the council don’t seem to believe us.

“They think they can get away with it and cover it all up. Why would anyone go to these lengths if there was nothing wrong?” Don added: “We have the right to complain as family members — that’s why I’ve taken it to the press. Edward is unable to do it himself. Our mother is next of kin and she’s fully behind this.” ***** THE family’s first major complaint was made to care service watchdog the Care Commission, as it was then called, four years ago. The Care Commission backed the family’s cause for concern by upholding the majority of their complaints. Care Commission chiefs produced a report as detailed below.

Upheld: Numerous verbal complaints to staff and managers had been ignored over long periods of time. The complainant has been told improvements will be made, but they do not happen.

Upheld: The bedroom of Mr Murphy was not being cleaned by staff — and how family members felt they had to clean it themselves.

Upheld: Insufficient attention was being paid to Mr Murphy’s nutritional needs, causing him to lose weight and increase in frailness.

Upheld: Ongoing issues with items going missing from Mr Murphy’s bedroom.

Upheld: The sink in Mr Murphy’s room was blocked for more than three weeks despite reports to management and assurances it would be fixed. It caused the flooding of the frail pensioner’s room a number of times.

Partially UPHELD: The service made an inappropriate referral to psychological services without consulting Mr Murphy or his family.

Partially UPHELD: Complainant was denied access to her grandfather’s written information despite Mr Murphy giving her permission.

NOT UPHELD: Staff increased Mr Murphy’s alcohol consumption against the GP’s advice.

November 2011 One year later, the Care Commission investigated Mr Murphy’s situation again and found more complaints from relatives to be substantiated.

Upheld: A member of staff was found to be unsupportive of the complainent and Mr Murphy and responsible for a lack of record keeping of complaints.

Upheld: Lack of communication to family over a roomchange for Mr Murphy — the change did not occur on the date given to the service user and family.

Upheld: Staff gave a medical professional inaccurate information about the level of alcohol Mr Murphy had been consuming.

Partially UPHELD: The service made an inappropriate referral to psychological services without consulting Mr Murphy or his family.

Partially UPHELD: Complainant was denied access to her grandfather’s written information despite Mr Murphy giving her permission.

Not UPHELD: Staff increased Mr Murphy’s alcohol consumption against the GP’s advice.