Aged care death sparks CCTV call

Riverview Gardens Nursing Home, where an elderly woman’s death is being investigated.

AN ELDERLY woman who was found dead on the floor of an Ipswich nursing home has prompted calls for better staffing and CCTV surveillance to keep watch over dementia patients.

A coronial inquest was launched after the mysterious death of Margery Frost, who was found lying on floor of her room at the Riverview Gardens Nursing Home on August 12 last year.

Ipswich Coroners Court was told the 85-year-old woman was blind, on oxygen and could not walk, but was found lying on the floor metres from her bed at 7.30pm.

A hoist was unusually pushed halfway into her room in Oak wing and Mrs Frost’s head was lying on the metal foot.

The two carers rostered to the wing that night told the registered nurse on duty they believed they had left the hoist in the corridor with the brakes applied.

Ipswich CIB plain clothed Senior Constable Steve Duller told the court police initially launched a homicide inquiry as “we thought something wasn’t correct in the way Mrs Frost was found”.

Coroner Donna MacCallum said she would not recommend criminal prosecution but there were issues the nursing home could address.

The court was told residents with dementia who were not violent and did not wander away from the Salvation Army nursing home were allowed to walk the corridors.

While it was not known how Mrs Frost came to be lying on the ground, Ms MacCallum said there was a suggestion a resident with dementia may have been involved.

Ms MacCallum said better storage of hoists, possibly secured with chains to the wall or with “beepers” to alert staff when the brakes were off could be investigated.

She also asked if low-risk or frail dementia patients left to wander the halls could be better monitored with a CCTV system or checked on every 15 minutes – both of which would require more staff.

While being questioned by coroner’s assistant Sergeant Kevin Carmont, registered nurse Paula Johnstone admitted more staffing would be helpful in an “ideal world”.

“In my opinion we could do with more staff,” Ms Johnstone told the court.

Nursing manager Pamela Woolgar said at the time the number of carers was slightly under the industry bench mark but now it was over.

Since the incident staff have been ordered to store hoists in alcoves in the wings’ corridors and an extra carer has been assigned to each wing.