A PENSIONER living at a care home died following a fall from a chair.

Joyce Bailey fell and hit her head on a hard floor at Plas Rhosnesni in Wrexham days after she had been transferred from another elderly care home, an inquest heard.

The 93-year-old was in declining health and had fallen on numerous occasions.

Her daughter, Gillian Molloy, said in a statement read to the Wrexham hearing that her mother was moved to Plas Rhosnesni to receive extra care as she had suffered two strokes in June last year and also appeared to be affected by dementia.

Mrs Bailey, a retired company secretary, was deemed to be a high risk of suffering from falls.

An agency nurse on duty at Plas Rhosnesni on September 16 said the pensioner might have stood up from her chair in the lounge while she was attending to another resident.

Mrs Bailey was unconscious and bleeding from a head wound.

She suffered a bleed in the brain and a facial fracture and was taken to the trauma centre at the Royal Stoke Hospital where she passed away on September 23.

Sinead Davies, a manager at Plas Rhosnesni, said the nursing home always completed risk assessments and care plans for its residents while they placed crash mats and alarms next to beds and chairs.

She said typically there would be up to 20 residents in the lounge at a time with one member of staff present, although that could vary.

An investigation was carried out at the home and Ms Davies reported: “There have been changes since the fall.

"We liaise with the Falls Team and we have two Falls Champions at the home whose job is to review risk assessments and notify the nurse in charge.”

When questioned by North Wales East and Central coroner John Gittins, Ms Davies said the home would not usually leave agency staff in charge of residents on their own.

The coroner concluded Mrs Bailey’s death was accidental and noted: “Mrs Bailey’s care was good and I am satisfied that the procedures followed were appropriate, although I have raised a few minor matters.”