Woman, 93, died after care visits stopped for three days

A 93-YEAR-OLD woman died after a mix-up resulted in care staff not visiting her for three days to administer vital heart medication, an inquest has heard.

Elsie Melling was found collapsed at home by her daughter, and died days later in hospital.

An inquest heard she had had a fall at home and that a podiatrist treating her feet called an ambulance.

When her daily carers came, they were told by the foot specialist that she was going to hospital so they need not come in. But when paramedics came, it was decided not to take her to hospital.

The carers, who were meant to visit four times a day, did not come back, meaning Mrs Melling, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, never got her daily medication for heart problems.

At the inquest, Ian Jukes, director of Creative Care and Support, apologised to her family.

He said: “The podiatrist said ‘you can go, the ambulance is on its way’. We took that as she was going to hospital. We should have checked that thoroughly. That was our mistake, and I want to apologise to Mrs Melling’s family for that.

Julie Loveland, Mrs Melling’s daughter, described how she had found her mother on Jan 28: “I knew something wasn’t quite right because the curtains weren’t open. She was still in her pyjamas and the heating wasn’t on.”

David Urpeth, the coroner, recorded a narrative verdict, which stated: “There was a breakdown in communication, which led to Mrs Melling not receiving care for a three-day period.”