Shrewsbury care home resident choked on peanut butter food
A man died at his care home after choking on peanut butter, an inquest has heard.
Clive Taylor, 55, died on April 23 at The Old Farmhouse care home in Goldcrest Drive, Sundorne Grove, Shrewsbury, where he was living.
At an inquest in Wellington's Civic Centre yesterday, Mr John Ellery, coroner for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, heard the death had hit carers at the home hard.
Mr Ellery said he had no concern about the standard of care Mr Taylor was receiving.
Mr Taylor had no restrictions in regard to food and had eaten peanut butter safely before.
But Mr Ellery heard his learning difficulties had contributed to the death as he had a tendency to eat very quickly.
Detective Sergeant Sam Hammond, who runs West Mercia Police's vulnerable adult unit – which was called in following the death – said nothing more could have been done to prevent it.
Giving evidence at the inquest, she said: "His environment was faultless, it was lovely, he was very well cared for and staff clearly felt a great deal for him because they were really distressed.
"It appeared that he had had peanut butter, which he had had many times before.
"Unfortunately on this day he has choked on the peanut butter.
"The carers are devastated.
"They were worried about whether there was anything they could have done, but there was nothing they could have done to prevent what happened.
"In my opinion it was an absolutely tragic accident.
"There were no concerns over his eating or access to peanut butter."
Mr Ellery recorded a cause of death as aspiration of food contributed to by learning difficulties and concluded it was an accident.
He said: "I have no concerns about how he was looked after, it has hit his carers very hard.
"I am satisfied that this was an accidental death," he added.
