Ex-top referee in care home ‘escape’ tragedy
A FORMER international football referee died after falling from a first-floor roof as he tried to escape the care home he was living in.
Worsening dementia meant Gordon Hill, 90, originally from Bolton, had to move into Oak Wood House care home in Bradninch, near Exeter, the day before his fall, March 20, 2019.
Tragically, he attempted to escape the home after becoming distressed, and fell onto the concrete below a flat roof.
He was taken to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital with severe injuries including rib and spinal fractures and head and chest injuries, but tragically passed away a few hours later.
The retired referee had previously been living with Veronica Gosling, his partner of ten years, in Exeter with the assistance of livein carers, but he became a permanent resident at the home on March 19.
A jury inquest into his death at Exeter’s County Hall heard Mr Hill had previously stayed at the home in February 2019 for a three-night
respite stay.
However, he had to return home after two nights as he became very aggressive to staff, and Mrs Gosling collected him.
This year, Oak Wood House has been rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and is now under special measures.
The court heard that during his second evening at the home, Mr Hill became agitated and anxious, and wanted to call his partner.
Care staff said he became aggressive towards them, and caused damage within the home.
Two extra staff members were called in to assist, and the inquest was told Mr Hill calmed down and was put to bed in his room at around 11.30pm, where he was “regularly monitored”.
Staff claimed they had tried calling Mr Hill’s partner but had been unable to get hold of her.
However, Mrs Gosling, who has an answerphone machine, said she was home all evening and did not hear from the phone until 1.15am on March 21, when the care home owner informed her of the fall.
When asked about the unwitnessed fall, staff told the court that they discovered Mr Hill was missing from his room during a check at around midnight, and following a search of the corridor he was found to have fallen around 13ft from a flat roof outside the window of a vacant room. He was conscious when staff found him.
Registered manager and care home owner Dianne Smyth told the inquest: “This incident is so tragic and there was nothing I could have done to prevent it, I don’t think.”
Devon County Council were satisfied the service was safe.
Police confirmed that following an investigation, no criminal neglect proceedings had been launched.