Death figures in care homes condemned by campaigners

New Office for National Statistic figures, showing the number of people dying in care homes, have been described as “scandalous” by campaigners.

The figures show that in the past five years over 650 residents of care homes have died as a result of dehydration whilst a further 157 were victims of malnutrition. Almost 2,000 have died from superbugs Clostridium difficile and MRSA whilst residents in care homes, a seven-fold rise since 1997.

The findings have been condemned by pension groups including the National Pensioners Convention. Neil Duncan-Jordan, from the group called the figures “shocking” and said: “What it shows is that a significant number of older people in our care homes are getting substandard, third-rate attention. These people in our care homes will have seen a lot in their lifetime. For them to be treated in that way is nothing sort of scandalous.”

Campaigners point to the average cost of staying in a care home, which is between £600 and £800 per week and say that despite the cost there are regular complaints about the standards of food and feeding in care homes. They say that most of the deaths were avoidable and would have been prevented by better standards of care.

The ONS figures follow an official audit in 2009 which found that one in six care homes were providing substandard care for elderly people. Also, a year ago, the Department of Health issued an alert after another report revealed that care home residents were far more likely to be given the wrong medicine than those living in the community.