John Gregory, who lived on the Whitecross estate for many years, died at UCLH on October 7 last year

A WOMAN who found her 93-year-old grandfather “half-dressed and unconscious” in a wheelchair at his care home has called for changes in the wake of his death.

Karen Gregory raised the alarm after finding John Francis Gregory slumped at Care UK’s Muriel Street Resource Centre with staff apparently not taking enough action.

He later died in hospital from complications relating to not drinking enough water in a case which led to a coroner raising concerns with the care providers.

According to his granddaughter, long-standing Whitecross estate resident Mr Gregory was fit and healthy despite his age, and was able to walk with a stick and look after himself.

“He was a very proud man, a part of that ­generation who wore a suit wherever he went, even just to go to the shops,” she said.

“Everybody on the estate loved him and knew him. When I told people they couldn’t believe how he had gone from walking with my nan in the park to dying so quickly.”

Mr Gregory and wife Joan celebrating their 72nd wedding anniversary with friends and family in 2017

Mr Gregory was admitted to hospital shortly after his wife, Joan, had a stroke in June last and was diagnosed with a bleed on his stomach that doctors put down to stress.

But after spending a month in the ward he was a “shadow of his former self”, and his health deteriorated even further after being ­admitted to the Muriel Street care home.

Questions have now been raised over whether Care UK staff did enough to encourage Mr Gregory to drink during his time there.

“When he was first moved to Muriel Street he was on the second floor, which was brilliant,” said Ms Gregory.

“But then they moved him to the first floor where they said he would get better care.

“The first time we went to see him there we found him pushed against a back wall in a wheelchair, with nothing to stop him slumping down. He cried when he saw us.

“I had to move him myself eventually, and got him to take lots of water. He was terrified, and told me how much he loved me.

“Three days later I found him unconscious at the home, slumped in his chair again, not responding at all. He had been like that all day.

“I asked the nurse what was happening, and they told me the doctor had come out because he wasn’t drinking. But they couldn’t tell me how much he had had to drink that day.

“He was not wearing any socks, his shirt was undone, and somehow he had someone else’s trousers on. A nurse came and took his pulse and went pure white. She said they needed to call an ambulance.”

Mr Gregory died at UCLH on October 7 last year.

A popular member of the Whitecross community, he had lived on the estate with Joan since it was first built, and was looking forward to celebrating his 74th wedding anniversary.

Mr Gregory was stationed in Italy during the Second World War.

Mr Gregory on an Arsenal stadium tour

Once home, he worked for the Royal Mint and the Post Office, loading trains at Euston railway station.

A long-time member of Muswell Hill Golf Club, Mr Gregory played until he turned 80.

Ms Gregory’s description of her grandfather’s care comes after senior coroner Mary Hassell’s stark warning that Mr Gregory died after not drinking enough water.

Her Prevention of Future Deaths report also suggests records stating he had “declined” or “refused” water were incorrect, given that he was unconscious with an ambulance on its way at the time of writing.

In a witness statement read out at Mr Gregory’s inquest in November, paramedic Alice Boarder said the ambulance ­service had raised a safeguarding concern over the level of care at the home.

“It was our understanding the patient was on a nursing care floor, so we were quite shocked to see the patient cyanosed and unresponsive in an armchair with observations as poor as they were and no one had noticed,” she said.

Eight months before Mr Gregory’s death, an unannounced inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – which regulates care homes in the UK – rated the facility as “needs improvement” in all ­categories.

Mr Gregory celebrating his 90th birthday

Inspectors reported that people were not always sufficiently supported to eat and drink. The report also highlighted failings in keeping updated records relating to nutrition.

Ms Gregory said: “I had heard stories about how terrible care for the elderly is, but to see it happen to my grandad was just terrible.

“He ended up dying a very slow and painful death because of the damage done to his kidneys. I spent the last six days in hospital with him.

“No one should have to die like this. We haven’t wanted to take legal action, we just want to know this won’t happen again.”

Care UK’s regional director, Deliana Katsiaounis, said: “We take the safety, welfare and dignity of residents very seriously and we are ­truly sorry that the care given to Mr Gregory on his last day at the home did not reach our usual high standards.

“Up until that day, we had done our very best to care for him. We had sought advice from the GP about his reluctance to accept drinks and his care plans show that ­carers had been trying to encourage him to drink and eat more.”

She added: “Following the CQC inspection earlier in the year, team members had received refresher training on the importance of record-keeping around hydration and meal times and how to support those who do not want to drink.

“Our audits had showed that this was making a difference although we accept that, in the case of Mr Gregory, our processes on that day were not followed and the care provided did fall short.

“Since Mr Gregory’s inquest in March the team at the home has taken part in further training on record-keeping, hydration and safe wheelchair use.

“We have also put additional focus on the importance of personal grooming and ensuring residents are helped to dress as they and their family would expect.

“We have also increased staffing levels and there is now a senior team member based in each suite who carries out regular inspections and ensures resident welfare checks are carried out and reviewed by the home manager.

“We would like to again offer our apologies and condolences to the family of Mr Gregory. I am very happy to discuss their concerns in more detail with them and explain the improvements we have made over the past few months.”