Elderly woman with dementia died two months after alleged assault at Freckleton care home

Jessie McKinlay, 91, was said to have been injured by another resident, who also had dementia, at the Old Vicarage on Naze Lane on February 14.

She was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital for treatment, and was later transferred to the New Thursby Nursing Care Home, Clifton Drive North, St Annes, where she died on April 21.

At the opening of her inquest at Blackpool Town Hall on Wednesday, the court heard that a post-mortem, carried out by home office pathologist Dr Alison Armour, revealed that the injuries Ms McKinlay suffered during the assault may have contributed to her death.

Coroner Alan Wilson said: "Both the deceased person and the other individual reported to have assaulted her or injured her suffered from dementia of one degree or another.

"The circumstances were such that it was said that Jessie MicKinlay was a resident in the Old Vicarage rest home in Freckleton when she was involved in an incident involving another resident.

"Jessie McKinlay was injured as a result of that incident and thereafter had been transferred to the New Thursby nursing home following a period of treatment at Royal Preston Hospital.

"(The postmortem) indicates that the medical cause of death may well reflect that injuries suffered during the course that that reported incident involving another individual may have contributed, to some extent, to the ultimate death of Jessie McKinlay."

Mr Wilson arranged for a review of the evidence in the investigation to take place at the Town Hall on August 29.

The Old Vicarage care home declined to comment.