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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think is bloody terrible of this nursing home, serving chicken pie to residents,

58 replies

TheCunnyFuntOfEastwick · 28/10/2012 15:09

That is actually not chicken, but rabbit! My grandma has been in a nursing home for a while, she broke her knee and couldn't manage to go home and look after herself so she booked herself into the nursing home next door.

One night they had 'chicken' pie for tea, the carer that took my grandma hers told her it was actually rabbit, but the other residents wouldn't eat it if they knew, so they were all told it was chicken!

This isn't any old crappy home either, it's meant to be one of the best ones in our town, last month my grandmas bill was over 4.5k for both her and her husband (he is there full time)

AIBU to think this is bloody disgraceful? I've been furious at MIL before when I ate chicken pie then found out later it was actually rabbit.

OP posts:

HeinousHecate · 28/10/2012 15:11

I've actually done that to my sister and her family. In a casserole.

And yes. It's wrong.

People should know what they are eating.

BeingBooyhoo · 28/10/2012 15:14

why are they making rabbit pie when most of teh residents wont eat it? surely they should just be making chicken pie if tehy're going to call it chicken?

bureni · 28/10/2012 15:15

I would prefer rabbit to chicken myself but people should know what they are eating. I find it strange though as rabbit would be more expensive than chicken to buy in and nursing homes tend to buy what is cheapest and least hassle to cook.

AmberLeaf · 28/10/2012 15:15

Im amazed at the suggestion the other residents wouldn't eat it TBH, most people that ive known to appreciate a bit of rabbit eating were over 70.

MrsMiniversCharlady · 28/10/2012 15:17

Are you sure that the carer wasn't 'joking'? (Not that it's funny)

Why would the care home go to the trouble of making rabbit pie, which IME is a fair bit more hassle than making chicken pie?

NettoSpookerstar · 28/10/2012 15:18

Isn't rabbit more expensive than chicken?

Original poster

TheCunnyFuntOfEastwick · 28/10/2012 15:19

They got rabbit because the husband of someone who works there goes shooting so can provide free rabbit.

I think it's worse because (and I know this is going to sound absolutely awful) my grandma is the only person in the home who is all there. Everybody else, well, they aren't all there. I just feel like it's taking advantage of their vulnerability :(

OP posts:

Witchety · 28/10/2012 15:21

Hey, at least it was home made and cooked from scratch!

HazeltheMcWitch · 28/10/2012 15:22

"special chicken" it was for us growing up.

Thanks, mum. Yup, we had bunnies at pets.

bureni · 28/10/2012 15:23

I doubt very much if a nursing home would be allowed to cook and serve rabbit that was shot by a local, the food supplied has to be of a high standard through certification and not something a local has just shot and flogged cheaply. If this is the case then the authorities need to be informed and the rabbit tested.

HazeltheMcWitch · 28/10/2012 15:23

To be clear, we did not eat our pets!

BeingBooyhoo · 28/10/2012 15:24

i'd feel the same as you cunnyfunt. it shouldn't matter what their mental state is, if tehy prefer not to eat rabbit, they shouldn't be tricked into eating it. for those people. what else are they being hoodwinked about.

tiredemma · 28/10/2012 15:29

This is wrong.. I work in health and social care, If the CQC were aware that patients were being served rabbit as chicken, which was shot by a local farmer there would be some eyebrows raised. You can't give people rabbit and pretend its chicken, what about respecting the patients rights and dignity. This is worrying, what other kinds of 'under the radar' stuff could be happening in that home?

MsVestibule · 28/10/2012 15:31

Reminds me of the time my vegetarian uncle unknowingly ate a 'nut roast' at a buffet at my DM's (his DSis) house - he didn't know it was actually made of sausage meat. Knowing full well he was a vegetarian, when he said "ooh, DSis, this nut roast is delicious", she said "I'm glad you like it so much, would you like to take some home with you?"

IslaMann · 28/10/2012 15:32

Bollocks. Don't believe it.

MrsRajeshKoothrappali · 28/10/2012 15:32

This kind of stuff is common.

The nursing home I've recently left (if anyone here read my extensive work/depression threads) would do things like this. Give non-vegatarian foods to vegetarians because 'they don't know what they're eating', use powdered milk on cereal because it's cheaper, buy entirely Tesco Value products.

It sucks. It's not just food, I could rant for days.

I've decided I'm never setting foot in a nursing home again....!

bureni · 28/10/2012 15:34

Lets get real here, farmer Bloggs arrives at nursing home with a bag full of dead rabbits which contain lead shot or a bullet after being killed locally, the kitchen staff sit themselves down to remove the head, legs and skin from the rabbits before opening them up to remove the internal organs and guts. Then into the pot they go to be served to the residents under the name of chicken, why would anyone go through this expensive, time consuming and illegal process as opposed to opening a bag of chicken pieces which cost a lot less in terms of money and time.

Original poster

TheCunnyFuntOfEastwick · 28/10/2012 15:35

You'd be surprised Bureni, my grandma says most of the food there is very cheap quality. The sausages are mushy, the pork pies are mainly jelly and the only veg they ever seem to serve are potatoes, carrots, cauli and cabbage.

OP posts:

tiredemma · 28/10/2012 15:37

Alarm bells ring for me with this kind of stuff.

mutny · 28/10/2012 15:41

They got rabbit because the husband of someone who works there goes shooting so can provide free rabbit.

They are lying or joking. Dh used to be a regional manager for BUPA homes catering.

This is illegal. Nursing homes have to purchase meat from an approved source.

bureni · 28/10/2012 15:42

Rubbish, no nursing home is going to serve a local farmers dead rabbits to its residents. All the food served has to be certified and traceable and since prepacked chicken costs a lot less than farmer Bloggs lead filled freshly killed rabbits methinks you do tell little porkies.

mutny · 28/10/2012 15:42

And Thb 4.5 for 2 people in home is not that much. I know its alot of money. But most homes would be more than that even the lower rate ones.

mutny · 28/10/2012 15:45

You'd be surprised Bureni, my grandma says most of the food there is very cheap quality

That's different to using meat that has been killed by someone they know. You have to bare in mind that the site catering manager could be charged with manslaughter if they served something from an unapproved source and a resident got ill and died.

Low quality is about right, using illegal meat is another.

AmberLeaf · 28/10/2012 15:47

Yeah im thinking someone is making up stories.

McHappyPants2012 · 28/10/2012 15:51

I don't belive it, the nursing staff wouldn't risk food poisoning

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