Son of fall woman 'betrayed'

The son of an 87-year-old woman who died after falling at a Powys nursing home said that the trust his family put in her carers had been betrayed.

Darryl Williams's mother Frieda died on July 15, 2005, after an accident at the BUPA-run Plas Cae Crwn home in Newtown

He said he and his two brothers had trusted staff were properly trained.

Mr Williams was giving evidence at the final day of an inquest on his mother at Welshpool Magistrates Court yesterday.

The inquest previously heard how she had fallen after being helped from a wheelchair by care assistant Lucy Evans, despite guidelines stating two people were always required to assist her.

Mrs Williams broke a vertebrae in her back and consequently suffered a blood clot in her chest.

She was taken to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital a week after the accident, where she died from a heart attack two days later.

Mr Williams told the court: "We placed our trust in a home that the staff were properly trained and our trust was betrayed."

Coroner Mr Geraint Williams returned a narrative verdict of death by cardiac arrest brought on by a haemothorax sustained in the fall.

He said he could not return a verdict of death by natural causes, as Mrs Williams died as a direct result of injuries sustained in the fall.

BUPA regional manager Conor Whitelaw today said: "Our staff are thoroughly trained in dealing with frail, elderly people. We accept that in this case our strict guidelines for assisting residents were not followed."

He added: "We have already reviewed training and procedures."