A DOCTOR today told how his worst fears had been realised with the deaths of nearly half the former residents of a closure-hit East Lothian care home.
East Lothian GP Dr Jon Turvill said there had been an "unusually high" number of deaths since Cockenzie House Nursing Home (above) closed its doors in April.
Around eight people are understood to have died following the move, with a further ten passing away in the run-up to the closure.
While it is not possible to link the deaths with the move, it follows the fears of relatives, GPs and staff that the upheaval would prove too much for many residents.
Families of former residents are now calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the closure.
Dr Turvill, of the Harbours Medical Practice, who used to treat many of the residents at the home, warned in February residents' lives could be at risk if it closed.
He said today: "There is a lot of research to show that death rates rise when people with dementia are moved. That is exactly what has happened. This is an unusually high number of deaths.
"There was a flurry of deaths in the lead-up to the closure. It's speculation in any individual case. But it's difficult to believe the number of people would have died if they had stayed at Cockenzie House.
"People do get very stressed. It doesn't matter how good the home is. It's just the moving itself.
"It's very sad. I'm not blaming anybody – there were a lot of adverse circumstances. But if there had been more good will on the part of everyone involved this might have been prevented."
James McDonald, the owner of the home, which had 40 residents, said he had no choice but to close after the Care Commission imposed a ban on new admissions last year. The Commission said the home had consistently failed to meet standards of hygiene and infection control.
Families and community leaders have formed an action group to "learn lessons" from the closure. Rev Bob Glover of Chalmers Memorial Church is a former chaplain at the home and member of the action group.
He said: "We believe almost half the residents at the beginning of the year have gone now. There have been a lot of funerals."
A spokeswoman for East Lothian Council today dismissed the reports of a high death toll as "unsubstantiated rumours", and said any speculation would only cause further grief for relatives.
The council is already carrying out a review into the closure.
The spokeswoman said it would be "wholly inappropriate" to comment on the number of former residents who had died.
The Care Commission has said it did everything it could to try to help Cockenzie House. Regional manager Lawrie Davidson said: "We worked intensively with the owners of Cockenzie House to help them meet the minimum acceptable standards of care. They repeatedly failed to meet those.
"When East Lothian Council took the decision to move all residents we liaised with them to safeguard the welfare of those older people during the transfer."
Mr McDonald, could not be reached for comment.
Betty's health 'went downhill very quickly'
ONE family today told how an elderly relative's health had gone "quickly downhill" after the move was announced.
Richard Scott, of Port Seton, said his mother-in-law Betty Nisbet had died six weeks after she was moved to another East Lothian nursing home.
He said: "In the last two months in Cockenzie House we began to see a difference. She was taking to her bed more. Her health went downhill very quickly. I think what was happening was getting through to residents.
"It wasn't a five-star home, but it was excellent care. Betty was suffering from dementia, but she could speak to us. She would have been 90 in two months' time, and we hoped she would see her birthday.
"We just feel as families we're got stuck in the middle, and nobody's given any consideration. We want an independent investigation.
"It's not going to do my wife or me any good, but hopefully we can do something to stop this happening again."
• www.carecommission.com
• www.eastlothian.gov.uk
The full article contains 716 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
