Residents of an East Lothian care home were left with dirty hair and nails while inspectors said some had lost weight after they were served "small portions" of food.

An inspection of Lammermuir House Care Home, Dunbar, raised concerns about the care of its residents with claims some also received the wrong dosage of medication and that there was a lack of records relating to their personal hygiene, oral care and skin checks and treatments.

The Care Inspectorate’s inspectors gave the home a grading of 2 - which is described as ‘weak’ - following the unannounced visit in September.

And they introduced a number of requirements on the home to be completed by next month including a "deep clean" of the premises which they said had a "malodour".

Staff shortages were cited as contributing to these issues although the carers themselves were praised as compassionate and respectful.

Concerns were raised over meal times with staff not always available in the dining room to support residents.

The inspection report said: “Meals are an important part of people's lives in a care home and we found that the approach to dining needed to be improved.

“People were not asked if they wished more to eat during dining and portions were small. People also told us they did not have the choice of a cooked breakfast.

“Staff were not always on hand in the dining room to offer assistance or to prompt people at meal times. Some people had lost weight in the home.

“A senior manager subsequently confirmed that monitoring and other strategies had been put in place to support residents who were losing weight.”

LETTER OF THE WEEK: More depth required to pool plans 

The inspectors added: “We saw a number of people who had hair that did not appear clean and there was no recording of having had it washed.

“Some relatives told us they had to support their family member to clean their nails. Bed changes were not always recorded but they were found to be clean and fresh. These issues resulted in care that was not always dignified and respectful.”

The care home was issued with several requirements to be actioned including increasing the staff levels after inspectors found that on some days the care home fell short of the numbers required to provide care.

A spokesperson for Four Seasons Health Care Group, which operate the home, said: “We regret that Lammermuir has fallen below the standards that we and the Care Inspectorate expect.

“Since the inspection, we have implemented a comprehensive action plan to address the areas of improvement highlighted. We remain committed to the safety and well-being, and positive outcomes for residents in our care.”