STAFF at a care home at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak in January have been praised for their kind and compassionate treatment of residents.

An inspection of Eskgreen care home, Musselburgh, just weeks after three residents were reported to have died as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, found a “quiet and calm” environment.

And inspectors said residents spoke highly of the care they received from the staff at the home, who were described as “very warm”.

The Care Inspectorate report said: “We saw and spoke with eight people during the inspection and respected the privacy of those who did not want to be disturbed, were unwell or isolating due to Covid-19.

“Due to frailty and or communication difficulties, some people [were] unable to share their views of their living in the home.

“However, we observed staff practice and saw very kind, considerate and compassionate interactions with people. This approach was confirmed by those who were able to share their views.”

READ MORE: Care home Covid outbreak

Despite the praise, the inspectors graded the quality of care and support at the home during the pandemic as a three or ‘adequate’.

They described the East Lothian Council-run home as fresh and clean but added that the general decor was “tired”.

The report said: “A number of areas throughout the home required upgrading. The general décor is tired.

“There were many areas of wear and tear to fixtures, fittings and furniture: chipped paintwork, worn radiator covers, damage to handrails, floors and walls which could hinder effective IPC (infection prevention and control).”

And it said staff numbers were good, adding: “Staff said they felt supported and no one had any concerns about staffing levels, access to PPE or

equipment and cleaning materials.

“This helped staff to be confident in the duties they were to undertake.

“Regular dependency assessments informed the staffing provision to ensure that people’s needs could be met by the right number of staff.”

The home confirmed at the end of January that three residents had died following an outbreak of Covid-19.

East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership this week confirmed that the number of residents who lost their lives as a result of Covid was now eight.

A spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with everyone who lost a loved one."

The partnership welcomed the findings of the report adding: "‘It is good to see the very positive comments from residents about how comfortable and cared for they feel, and how much they like and value the staff at Eskgreen. We think that the grade reflects the challenges that care homes faced during the pandemic."