Investigation and inquest
On 28/05/2020 I commenced an investigation into the death of Mavis May Lawrence. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest 30th September 2020. The conclusion of the inquest was:-
“The deceased died from natural causes exacerbated by infected pressure sores.”
The deceased was 87 years of age and suffered with severe dementia. She required full nursing care. She had been resident at Beechdene Residential Home, Leek since September 2018. She had been seen regularly by District Nursing teams to assess and treat her pressure areas but tissue viability nurses were not involved. Preventative measures including pressure relieving equipment were in place; however nursing notes evidenced gaps in pressure care between 3rd December 2018 and the 27th January 2019 when she was admitted to the Royal Stoke University Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent. She was dehydrated and found to have deep ungradable pressure sores and an abscess on her buttock. She was discharged to Goldenhill Nursing Home, Heathside Lane, Stoke on Trent on the 13th February 2019 for end of life care where she died on the 28th February 2019.
The cause of death was given as:-
1a. Bronchopneumonia.
1b. Immobility.
1c. Alzheimer's dementia.
2. Old age and infected pressure ulcers.
Circumstances of the death
See above
The published report provides this section by reference to another part of the report.
Coroner’s concerns
The matters that are raised in the safeguarding report:-
(1)Nursing notes evidence that pressure areas (sacrum/ buttock/hips) were not checked between 3.12.18 and 11.12.18. Wounds to the sacrum and left hip were documented on the 16.12.18 in nursing notes.
(2)No wound treatment assessment charts after the 18.12.18 to document deterioration of pressure areas.
(3)Nursing notes in December 2018 did not portray a clear story of positioning and changes to the ulcers.
(4)The pressure mattress had been turned off on the 22.1.19
(5)No record of last visit by district nurses on the 27.1.19
(6)There was no evidence that band 4 nurse escalated the seriousness of the situation.
(7) There was no evidence that the deceased had been provided with any pain relief and the GP had not been sufficiently involved. .
(8) District nurses had not involved Tissue Viability Nurses.