Inquest query on blanket

AN inquest will probe whether a terminally ill woman suffocated after a blanket was placed over her head while she was unconscious.

Stella Hamilton was 72years-old and been a resident of the dementia ward at the Malanda Ozcare aged care facility for 10 months when she was found dead on July 31, 2016.

Counsel assisting the Coroner Melia Benn said that Ms Hamilton had been on “an end-of-life” plan and was expected to pass away within the few days leading up to her death.

“Your honour will hear evidence that Ms Hamilton had been unconscious for nearly two days prior to her passing,” Ms Benn said.

The Coroners Court was told the nurse, who was caring for Ms Hamilton, found her dead in her bed with a blanket over her head. A forensic pathologist was unable to establish a cause of death.

“The focus of this inquiry is how that blanket came to be over Miss Hamilton’s head and whether or not her death was accelerated by suffocation from a blanket being placed over her head at a time when she was unconscious,” Ms Benn said.

Coroner Nerida Wilson indicated during the pre-inquest conference yesterday that she planned to visit the facility, which does not use CCTV footage as a security measure.

Ms Wilson said she had some “very specific observations” to make.

There were currently 15 proposed witnesses including Ms Hamilton’s treating doctors and Malanda Ozcare staff.

A second conference was set for late September with the inquest marked down for two days in October.