A 93 year old woman who was still mobile and independent died following a fall in the Burton Fleming care home where she was a resident.
Jessica Wall, affectionately known as ‘J’ to staff and her fellow residents at The Willows, had a history of falls and fell twice in the days before her death, an inquest in Scarborough heard last week.
The Incident
At around 6.30am on the morning of 25 November she was found on the floor in the corridor and helped back into her room. Staff examined her and checked on her every half an hour.
Care assistant Elaine Webster told the hearing: “She was asleep and settled and I got on with my duties. When I handed over to the day staff they checked her and said she needed an ambulance.”
I was asked by my employer was I able to examine for broken bones but I am just a carer, not a nurse.
The Inquest Findings
Mrs Wall, who was mobile with the help of her walking frame, was admitted to Scarborough Hospital but died on 27 November.
Two days before the fatal fall, she had been found on the floor of her room with the wardrobe door open. The hearing heard she would often get dressed in the middle of the night.
📊 Inquest finding: The cause of death was haemothorax — a condition that arises from blood in the pleural cavity. A post mortem revealed she also had a lung laceration and fractured ribs.
The Coroner for the Eastern District of North Yorkshire, Mr Michael Oakley, recorded a verdict of accidental death.