Elderly resident left dangling from hoist at Shrewsbury care home, inquest told
An elderly Shrewsbury care home resident died two days after she was left “dangling” from a hoist while being moved to her bed, an inquest heard.
Esther May Edwards died at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on January 24.
The 81-year-old was taken to the hospital on January 22 after falling from a hoist at Maesbrook Care Home in Shrewsbury.
A jury heard how a nurse and two carers attempted to move Mrs Edwards from her chair to her bed, with two using a hoist, and the other moving the bed closer, at about 8.30pm.
Nurse Pam Walker, who has worked at the care home for the past nine years, said she has not slept properly since the incident.
“I just simply do not know how it happened,” she said. “I can’t explain it. I have not slept properly since it happened.”
Nurse Walker had been asked by carers Sharon Rowson and Debbie Yeomans to oversee the manoeuvre because they said other staff had them they had experienced problems moving the hoist two days prior.
She said: “Sharon and I did the hoist so I could see if there was a problem. I checked the sling and quickly assessed the room. I put the loops of the sling onto the hooks on the hoist then I went to the rear of her chair and took her up about three feet. She was well balanced.
“Next thing I heard Esther call out. It was like a howl. It was awful as if she was in pain so I stopped immediately. I noticed that her left leg had come out and she was not in the same position.
"It happened so quickly. I didn’t have time to do anything and the sling just slipped off the hook. She was left in a dangling position. I have never seen anything like that happen in my 45 years of nursing.”
Mrs Edwards suffered injuries to both arms and a small wound to her face. She was taken to hospital where she was found to have a fractured hip.
Dr Sairam Kumar gave the medical cause of death, which is in dispute, as cor pulmonale, known as pulmonary heart disease, and chronic hyperventilation syndrome. He gave the hip fracture as a secondary factor.
The inquest continues.
