Sheriff Criticises Care Given To Elderly Man

A sheriff has sharply criticised the care given to a 74-year-old man who died in hospital after being left in a Paisley nursing home severely dehydrated and malnourished.  George Fairlie was a resident  at the Alexandra Nursing Home and died in 2002.

George Fairlie had been a resident at the £400 a week Alexandra Care Home in Paisley for two years when he was admitted to hospital in October 2002. His family had come to take him out to lunch and found him emaciated and barely conscious due to his dangerously low blood pressure.

After demanding a doctor be called it became apparent his condition was far worse that first feared. Tests on the 74-year-old diabetic showed he was severely dehydrated and malnourished. He also had several injuries to his ankles diagnosed as bed sores or caused from striking his legs off the side of the bed. In the next few weeks the wounds soon became gangrenous and the father of four died of broncopnemonia and a lung abscess.

Now, after several years of inquiry into the circumstances of his death,  Sheriff Pender at Paisley Sheriff Court has ruled uncategorically it was poor quality nursing care that contributed to his death.

Much to the delight of his family. Alison Fairlie, George Fairlie’s daughter, said: “Just so happy that it was in our favour. The accident inquiry was in our favour, I just couldn’t believe it and mostly what’s in it, I’m just shocked because if it wasn’t for the fatal accident inquiry, we would have known nothing about this. I can’t stipulate enough how grateful I am we’ve got this fatal  accident inquiry so I just hope others will listen and won’t be frightened on taking on a multi-million pound company and not be scared. We’re just a normal family and this happened to us. It was just an accident waiting to happen, unfortunately it happened to my father.”

But campaign group Action on Elder Abuse say this is not an isolated case. Gary Martin from Elder Abuse said: “We are having frequent cases come up in Scotland and this is mainly because the regulation and the guidance for the social care boards is actually lagging behind the other three nations.”

In response today’s  the verdict the owners of Alexandra Care Home, Four Seasons Healthcare issued a statement saying: “Following Mr Fairlie’s death the new management of the company in Scotland has reviewed all procedures to ensure that there can be no repetition of the failings in care and practice that occurred several years ago.”

It went on: “Our thoughts and sympathies are extended to Mr Fairlie’s family and we offer our regret at the distress they have endured.”