Care Home fined over elderly lady death
The owners of a Preston care home have been fined £65,000 following the death of a 40-year-old mother-of-one, who became trapped between a mattress and a bed rail.
The elderly lady suffered from Huntingdon's disease, was found unconscious in the Care Home, and died later that morning in hospital.
The largest providers of palliative care in the UK, appeared in court after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the home failed to manage the risks associated with the equipment used.
As her condition made her prone to involuntary movements, a specialist cushioning system was used along with the bed rails. However, Preston Crown Court heard the equipment was not used correctly by staff, creating a risk.
The HSE investigation found Mrs Young was able to knock her bed rail out of position because it was not the right size for her bed. This created a gap between her bed rail and mattress in which she became trapped and was unable to breathe.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE Principal Inspector David Shorrock said:
"Because the home was oblivious to the risks associated with this kind of equipment, they had no proper risk assessments in place. The maintenance of the equipment was also poor and staff were not trained to spot any problems which could have arisen in Mrs Young's case.
The court ordered the Home Care to pay £35,000 towards the cost of the prosecution in addition to the fine.
Updated on 9/6/2011