Woman, 73, choked to death on ham sandwich in care home

A family has been ‘completely destroyed’ after their 73-year-old mum choked to death on a ham sandwich in a care home.

Brenda Preston, 73, died on February 28 three days after choking on the meal that she was given by a new carer at Ventress Hall care home, in Darlington, County Durham.

She was on a ‘soft mash’ diet and had to be monitored whilst eating as she had 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 herself worked as a carer at Ventress Hall, and her husband David Preston thought it was the best place to care for her due to her complex needs.

But a carer who was new to the home did not read her care plan and gave her a ham sandwich – which was prohibited – and did not stay to monitor her meal.

She was unable to properly swallow her food and was discovered by a nurse as her lips turned blue.

Brenda died three days later at Darlington Memorial Hospital, from severe bronchial pneumonia and gastric aspiration.

Her family are now determined to ensure that mistakes made in Brenda’s care are not repeated.

They want change at Ventress Hall, and across Care UK’s network of residences.

David, Brenda’s heartbroken husband, said that there had been mistakes at mealtimes before – but as he spent every day with her, helping to feed her, he had always been there to catch them.

He said: ‘She was my entire life. She was the only girlfriend I ever had.

‘When we were in Covid lockdown, I would stand at her window and tell her I loved her. I am in pieces now she is gone.’

The family say that ‘nothing can fix the mistakes made’, but they want to ensure that “nothing like this can happen again” by raising awareness through Brenda’s story.

Daughter Leigh-Anne said: ‘Nothing will bring my mam back. The one thing you should never have to worry about when you’ve got a family in care is their safety.

‘I know accidents happen, it is only human, but this was entirely preventable. It was an absolute failure.

‘They fed something to my mam that killed her – that’s unforgivable. I blame the management at Ventress Hall one hundred per cent.’

Dianna Coy, the regional director of Care UK, which runs Ventress Hall, said: ‘We again offer our condolences to the family of Mrs Preston.

‘We pride ourselves on offering kind, safe care to all residents in our homes such that whenever a safety incident occurs, we carry out a thorough investigation to identify any areas of learning within the home.

‘We have already implemented several improvements to avoid this happening again and will further reflect on the findings of the inquest. This home is currently rated “good” by the Care Quality Commission.’

Diane Encinias, the home’s manager, said that changes had been made to prevent similar incidents in future, such as a new visual reminder on residents’ bedroom doors about their care plans; a training presentation for all staff on choking risks; and discussions of every patient’s needs at handover.

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