Dementia patient dies just weeks after ‘begging for food’ video
A DEMENTIA patient has died just weeks after she appeared in video footage begging for food at a scandal-hit care home.
Edna Slann’s family say her health rapidly faded when she was placed at Grantley Court nursing home in surrey.
Despite a stay of just two months, she suffered an unexplained head wound, lost more than half a stone in weight and was left with a severe infection.
The 89-year-old’s death is now the fourth linked to a care home company being investigated by police. Detectives are looking at allegations that patients suffered injuries at Grantley Court and its sister centre Merok Park in Banstead – which were forced to close after inspectors uncovered appalling conditions and shocking neglect. Surrey Police have so far made no arrests, but in the latest development officers searched a home in Cheam, Surrey. A spokesman said a warrant was used to enable officers to ‘gather information to ascertain the need for a criminal investigation’.
Patients were moved to other homes in December following a report by the Care Quality Commission into the two centres run by millionaire owners Soondressen Cooppen and his wife Maleenee, from Cheam.
Alfred Dodd, 85, died from pneumonia less than 48 hours after he was evacuated from Merok Park. The family of Jessie Collins, 91, who died this month, also believe she would still be alive had she not stayed there.
Former Grantley Court resident Winnie Lake, 91, died from hypertension two weeks after she was moved out and her family blame the trauma of the sudden change.
Mrs Slann featured in a heart breaking video released by her family last month, in which she pleads to be fed. Filmed in September, she says to her granddaughter: “I’m hungry. Have you got anything to eat here now? I’m bloody starving. They keep you bleeding starving in here.”
The grandmother of one died at a home in Epsom on February 16 and the main cause of death was a stroke, with her foot infection and high blood pressure also believed to have had an effect.
Her daughter Linda Crackett, 54, said she could have lived longer had she not been placed at Grantley Court.
She said: “She had been left in such a weakened state by the malnutrition and the infection. She tried to rally round but she got so weak.”
Mrs Crackett who believes Sutton Council should have inspected the home itself before sending anyone there, has now started a petition calling for an independent judge-led inquiry into Britain’s care system. She added: “What is effectively happening is they are putting a price on these people’s lives.
“We have had four deaths now from this, how many more people have to die before somebody takes notice that something is desperately wrong in this care home system?”
