Social Care News

28th November 2012

Reminder issued about importance of window restrictors

A reminder has been issued about the importance of regularly checking window restrictors in nursing and residential care homes.

Melanie Minty, Care Forum Wales policy adviser, said: "We would like to remind all our members that regular checking of window restrictors is vital to make sure tragedies do not occur.

"Back in January we saw a case where the owner of Plas Rhosnesi Nursing Home in Wrexham was sentenced after an elderly resident defeated the window restrictor of his first floor bedroom and fell 12ft to the ground below."

After a hearing in Chester Crown Court in January the company previously known as Hallmark Healthcare (Wrexham) Ltd, now Care Homes Wrexham Ltd, was fined £66,000 and ordered to pay £43,287 in costs after the death of a resident, Stanley Tilston, 79,who was suffering from dementia.

Mr Tilston had repeatedly tried to break open the window's chain restrictor and on June 1, 2008 he was found lying on the ground outside the nursing home with head injuries. He died in hospital a few days later.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the company had failed to complete a risk assessment on the risk of residents falling from windows, and failed to implement and review its window restrictor policy.

For the full HSE report on this incident click here

Care Homes Wrexham Ltd. of Woodbank Crescent, Radford Way, Billericay (previously known as Hallmark Healthcare (Wrexham) Ltd), pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.