Scorton Care Home Accused of Lack of Care (UK)

2nd November 2011

A CORONER has ruled that a lack of care at a nursing home contributed to a fall suffered by a 97-year-old woman who subsequently died.

Ann Wrightson died five weeks after a fall at the Abbey Care home in Scorton, near Catterick, North Yorkshire.

Coroner Michael Oakley heard how bed-bound Mrs Wrightson, who was completely dependent on carers in her later years, fell out of bed in the early hours of March 31, when two care assistants were with her.

The assistants, Sheela Varghese and Mphatso Macheke, were trying to move the bed to change Mrs Wrightson’s sheets, when she fell.

She suffered a broken thigh bone and died in hospital on May 7.

Dr Carl Gray, who carried out a post-mortem examination, told yesterday’s inquest, in Northallerton, that Mrs Wrightson died of heart failure, but that the trauma was likely to have contributed.

He said: “Without the trauma, Mrs Wrightson could have lived for several weeks or months, although [given her existing health problems] death could have occurred at any time.”

Ms Varghese said she did not know exactly how Mrs Wrightson, who the court was told spent her days curled in the foetal position, came to fall, but said the bed had been moved slowly and without jerking movements.

Mr Oakley said care home bosses and North Yorkshire County Council concluded that, on the balance of probability, neglect was a factor in the fall.

James Ferris, who was the home’s operational director at the time of the incident but has since left, said neglect had not been proved, adding that the staff involved were extremely competent.

Mr Oakley said: “Mrs Wrightson died from natural causes, but these have been exacerbated by a traumatic fracture, sustained during a fall, contributed to by lack of care.”

After the hearing, Mrs Wrightson’s daughter, Anne, said: “The five weeks leading up to her death were miserable, painful and distressing for her and for the whole family. This was a dreadful end to a long and caring life.”

SOURCE:     The Darlington and Stockton Times, UK
_______________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search LABELS for More Resources