Relatives of a vegetarian resident in a care home expressed concerns that she was left relying on plain cheese sandwiches for an extended period due to being served meat dishes repeatedly. Ann Moulds raised issues regarding her 93-year-old mother’s dietary preferences being neglected after her relocation to Howard House Care Home in Kilmarnock. The care facility issued an apology acknowledging shortcomings in certain service aspects.
According to Ann, her mother, a long-term vegetarian, faced a lack of proper care, which was evident in the disregard of her dietary restrictions upon admission in 2022. Despite providing a list of her mother’s dietary exclusions, the care home failed to adhere to these specifications. Ann emphasized that the Care Inspectorate mandates that care services respect individuals’ personal beliefs, including dietary requirements like vegetarianism and veganism.
Allegedly, the care home management shifted blame onto Ann’s mother, insinuating that she had requested non-vegetarian meals. Ann claimed that initially, vegetarian options were provided, but when her mother expressed dissatisfaction, she was given dry cheese sandwiches, a sign of neglect in caregiving responsibilities.
The situation escalated when Ann’s mother suffered a fall resulting in a hip fracture, leading to her becoming bedridden and refusing food and water. Upon inspection of the food chart, it was discovered that the care home had served her meat, pork, and fish.
After spending two years in the care home, Ann’s mother was transferred to another facility. Ann has since partnered with Vegetarian for Life (VfL) to advocate for the recognition of dietary beliefs in care settings. Sanctuary Care, the care home operator, expressed regret for the service deficiencies and vowed to address them.
In response, the charity VfL urged care providers and the government to take action to ensure that individuals’ dietary beliefs are respected and accommodated.
