Weston Coyney care home warned after OAP's death
A NURSING home will be advised to reconsider its dining arrangements after a dementia sufferer choked to death on meatballs.
And the family of 79-year-old Thomas Plant have confirmed they will press ahead with legal action against the Weston Coyney-based Westfield Lodge Care Home.
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INCIDENT: Westfield Lodge.
Their legal representatives, Irwin Mitchell, said that Mr Plant had been treated as a 'chore' by the home.
An inquest heard that Mr Plant, a grandfather of 15, was also sitting with his back to the door of his bedroom, meaning staff could not have a proper view of him as they passed along the corridor.
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Now Margaret Jones, Deputy Coroner at North Staffordshire Coroners Court, has confirmed she will write to the home recommending changes are implemented to stop any further incidents.
Mrs Jones, who recorded a verdict of accidental death, said: "I think there are lessons to be learned here.
"Reminding staff to encourage residents to eat in the dining room and for them to look into the possibility of the positioning of chairs in the bedrooms while being mindful of people's right to privacy". The family say they had requested that Mr Plant, who could not walk, was helped to the dining room to eat with fellow residents.
Mr Plant had moved into the Four Seasons Health Care-owned facility, on September 8, 2006, after his dementia meant wife of 58 years, Betty, was no longer able to look after him.
The inquest heard that Mr Plant did not have any dietary requirements, did not have difficulty swallowing and was able to feed himself – but sometimes struggled with plate-to-mouth coordination.
But his family maintained there had been an incident of choking in the past.
On the day of his death, January 6 last year, he ordered a lunch time meal of meatballs and chips.
Staff said Mr Plant was usually offered the choice of eating in the dining room, but on that afternoon he was not.
At roughly 12 noon a worker cut the meatballs into smaller portions and watched him eat his first mouthful before continuing her duties. He was discovered shortly after 12.30pm.
Despite paramedics' attempts to resuscitate him, Mr Plant was pronounced dead at 1.15pm.
Kim Andrews, a medical law expert at Irwin Mitchell, said: "We are appalled at how Thomas was left to die in the most undignified and cruel way, because he was left to eat alone in his room."
A spokesman for Four Seasons said: "Mr. Plant's death was a tragic accident and deeply distressing for all concerned.
"Our thoughts and sympathies continue to be with his family.
"The home has accepted the recommendations made by the coroner and will encourage residents to eat in the dining room although it is important that we respect their personal choice.
"We have noted the coroner's recommendation relating to positioning of the chairs in rooms.
"We can re-position furniture, but if a client wishes it to be arranged differently in their room then we should respect their wishes."
10 Comments
by stokepotter
Sunday, February 03 2013, 3:42PM
“Roob57. You cannot judge all care homes on the one example of your daughter's experience. The home where my mum has to stay due to her condition is good and all the people there speak excellent English as they are (with one exception) all English. The one who is not English, speaks excellent English and is most caring. Don't tar all care homes with the same brush. Our experince has been that before my mum went into a care home we spent a considerable amount of time visiting homes unnounced,the majority of which seemed OK. Some were less good, but isn't that the same in all service industries?”
by miss_d_fyed85
Sunday, February 03 2013, 3:11PM
“or even incompetence aid.”
by mrb__instoke
Sunday, February 03 2013, 1:31PM
“Or even continence aid..... next !”
by miss_d_fyed85
Sunday, February 03 2013, 12:17PM
“20 years and still can't get the basics right. nappy or incontinence pad, good and bad everywhere i think.”
by roob57
Sunday, February 03 2013, 10:45AM
“Lets face facts here, most of these homes only have one qualified person working per shift the rest of the staff are a mix of unqualified agency workers and migrant workers from abroad who speak/understand only basic English.
I know this is true because as part of her nursing studies my daughter worked in one of these homes for a while and she was the only one on shift who could speak our language.”
by FFDP1
Sunday, February 03 2013, 5:12AM
“BucknellMel, I see you being rude about care providers on many reports in this website, not you realize how many people are cared for each day in theses homes to a very high standard by committed staff. I know this is against the normal workings of a care home, I was a nurse for nearing 20 years, and this is not how most work. Two very basic mistakes hear, was it right to give a guy with eating problems a meal consisting of Chips, Meatballs and Peas, not a good move, and a basic lack of supervision.”
by stokepotter
Saturday, February 02 2013, 9:46PM
“Bucknallmal. Don't tar every care home with the same broad brush of criticism. Some are very good and the staff are very caring and hard working. I know because unfortunately my mother has had to go into one and the staff there could not be more caring, from the manager down. They all work together as a team looking after some residents that can be violent and difficult. For staff there, it is not only a job, but appears also to be a vocation.”
by BucknallMel
Saturday, February 02 2013, 1:11PM
“All these companies are the same; funded by investment companies and run on the same principles as any ethics-free commercial enterprise - charge as much for your goods or service as you can get away with while ensuring you pay as little as possible to provide them. Most of the staff are on minimum wage or even no wages, because they are on government funded training schemes, and there are never enough of them so they each do just the bare minimum for each resident (if they even do that). If the CQC which inspects them had enough inspectors, didn't give prior notice of their visits, and failings would be taken from the wallets of the company directors, there would be improvements, but as it is all failings are taken out on the lowest in the chain and the money men sail on getting richer.”
by Potter46
Saturday, February 02 2013, 1:05PM
“Probably understaffed, as most of these places are.”
by FFDP1
Saturday, February 02 2013, 10:05AM
“I'm sorry, the place is in the market of care, it should not have to be told how to control something as everyday as meal times.”