Grandmother who liked standing up on her stairlift died after falling off, inquest hears

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Grandmother who liked standing up on her stairlift died after falling off

Renee Hall, 99, repeatedly ignored family warnings for her to sit down on the device instead of standing on the footrest, it was said.

Last August she fell backwards crashing head-first onto the wooden floor and died in hospital a month later, the coroner heard.

Today a coroner ruled that the “extremely strong-willed” pensioner from Datchet in Berkshire died in an accident.

Earlier, the hearing at Reading Town Hall heard a statement from the grandmother's son, Nick Hall.

She had a propensity to go up and down stairs standing on the footrest of the stairlift

Peter Bedford – Senior Coroner for Berkshire

Senior Coroner for Berkshire, Peter Bedford said: “His mother, a 99-year-old lady was extremely active and fit for her age.

"He described her as extremely strong-willed and says various members of the family were always warning her of some of her more risky activities.

“She had a propensity to go up and down stairs standing on the footrest of the stairlift rather than sitting on it and Mr Hall says that the family believe that it was while doing this that she suffered a head injury.”

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Paramedics rushed her from her home to the A&E at Wexham Park Hospital

The grandmother had no memory of her fall but a cup of tea was found spilled near where she was found lying face down on August 23 last year, the hearing was told.

The coroner told the inquest that a spilled cup of tea was found near where Mrs Hall had overbalanced and was unable to break her fall while riding the stairlift down her wooden set of stairs one-handed.

It was believed she hit her head on a wall before crashing to the floor.

She was found by her grandson lying face down with cuts to near her left eye and elbow.

Paramedics rushed her from her home opposite Eton College to the Accident and Emergency department at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough where medics discovered she had a bleed on the brain.

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Last August Ms Hall fell backwards head-first onto a wooden floor and died in hospital a month later

The grandmother died with her family by her side on September 27.

Mr Bedford said: “Despite Mrs Hall's mature years of 99 she appears to have been remarkably fit and active for her age.

“I do not believe it unreasonable to accept the family's interpretation of events.

“Clearly she has overbalanced while holding a cup of tea in her hand. She was not able to break her fall.

Mr Bedford ruled that Mrs Hall died as a result of an accident.

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