A family has been ‘devastated’ after a 73-year-old mother choked to death on a ham sandwich at a care home.
Brenda Preston, 73, died on February 28 three days after choking on food given to her by a new carer at Ventress Hall care home, in Darlington, County Durham.
He is on a ‘soft mash’ diet and needs to be monitored when he eats as he has trouble swallowing.
After a serious illness with bacterial meningitis in 2001 Brenda was left physically and mentally disabled.
For 13 years before her illness, Brenda had worked as a caretaker at Ventress Hall, and her husband David Preston thought it was the best place to care for her because of her complex needs.
But the caretaker who was new to the house didn’t read the treatment plan and gave ham sandwiches – which was forbidden – and didn’t keep an eye on the food.
He was unable to swallow food properly and was noticed by the nurse when his lips turned blue.
Brenda died three days later at Darlington Memorial Hospital, of bronchial pneumonia and gastric aspiration.
Her family is now determined to ensure that the mistakes in Brenda’s care are not repeated.
They want change at Ventress Hall, and across the Care UK network of homes.
David, Brenda’s heartbroken husband, said there was a mistake at mealtime earlier – but because he was with her every day, helping to feed her, he was always there to hold her.
She said: ‘He was my whole life. She’s the only girlfriend I’ve ever had.
‘When we were in Covid lockdown, I would stand at her window and tell her I loved her. I’m gone now.’
The family say that ‘nothing can fix their mistakes’, but they want to make sure that “nothing like this can happen” by raising awareness through Brenda’s story.
Princess Leigh-Anne said: ‘No one is going to bring my mum back. The one thing you don’t have to worry about when you have a family is safety.
‘I know accidents happen, it’s only human, but this could have been prevented. It was an absolute failure.
‘They fed my mother the food that killed her – that is unforgivable. I blame the management at Ventress Hall one hundred percent.’
Dianna Coy, regional director of Care UK, which runs Ventress Hall, said: “We again send our condolences to Mrs Preston’s family.
“We pride ourselves on providing good and safe care for all our residents at home, so whenever there is a safety incident, we carry out a thorough investigation to identify any issues with home learning.
“We have implemented a number of improvements to prevent this from happening again and will better reflect the inquest’s findings. The home is now rated “good” by the Care Quality Commission.’
Diane Encinias, home manager, said that changes have been made to prevent similar incidents in the future, such as a new visual reminder on the bedroom residents’ door about care plans; presentation of training to all staff on choking risks; and discussion of each patient’s needs at handover.
Contact the news team by emailing webnews@metro.co.uk.
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