A fatal accident inquiry into the death of an elderly care home resident, who died after falling from her wheelchair whilst it was being transported, has found that fitting footrests and appropriate restraints would have been a reasonable precaution to have taken to prevent the accident.

A lack of training, direction and risk assessment at Greenbank Nursing Home in Hamilton where the incident took place were also found to have contributed.

However, Sheriff Joyce Powrie, Advocate, the Sheriff presiding over the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of Mary Devine acknowledged that steps had since been taken by the nursing home to prevent a repeat of the incident.

Mrs Devine had fallen forward from her wheelchair, breaking vertebra in her spine and sustaining bruising to her arms and face whilst being transported in her wheelchair.  She contracted bronchoneunonia and died as a consequence.

Sheriff Powrie praised MRs Devine's son for publicly announcing that he did not wish to apportion personal blame to the care worker who was pushing Mrs Devine's wheelchair at the time of the accident.

"Further, Mr Wilson the Director of the Nursing Home also tendered his apologies to the family for their loss. The court trusts that this is of some comfort to all involved," she said.

The full determination can be found here.

http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/opinions/DEVINE.html