Preston care home resident with dementia died after being repeatedly punched for climbing into the wrong bed

A Preston care home resident with dementia died more than two months after being repeatedly punched in the face when he tried to get in another patient's bed by mistake, an inquest heard.

Colin Edward Farmer, 71, suffered a bleed on the brain as a result of the incident and his health deteriorated over the following weeks, Area Coroner Kate Bisset was told.

The incident happened at the Hulton House Care Home in Lightfoot Green Lane, Fulwood on April 20, 2021 after Mr Farmer got out of bed during the night, left his room and walked down a corridor without staff spotting him. 

On his return he walked into another resident's bedroom and tried to climb into bed. The man punched him in the face several times, causing "significant" injuries.

After a full day's inquest in Preston on Monday, Coroner Bisset issued a narrative conclusion, saying Mr Farmer "had a number of health conditions including dementia and cerebral vascular disease which were advancing and required increasing care needs.

"On the 20th April 2021, Mr Farmer had been put to bed when he got up and left his bedroom. He passed through a corridor in which he should have been seen by staff and returned to his own room and entered another resident's bedroom where he attempted to get into that bed.

"That resident responded by repeatedly punching Mr Farmer to the face, causing significant bruising, and swelling, in addition to bleeding in his brain.

"Following the incident, Mr Farmer's health deteriorated until his death. He never recovered to his baseline capabilities following the incident."