Carer ‘assumed’ vulnerable man who choked to death eating a sandwich was sleeping

Farnworth: So, there was this really tragic incident at a care home. A man named Craig Spiby, who had a rare condition that made him prone to choking, sadly died while eating a sandwich. The coroner said the carer thought he was just sleeping when, in fact, he was choking.

Craig was 49 and had Phelan McDermid Syndrome, which is pretty serious. He was supposed to be monitored while eating, but it seems like no one noticed he was in trouble for quite a while. When paramedics finally got there, it was too late.

The coroner, Timothy Brennand, pointed out that the care home needed to step up its game. He mentioned that Craig had been living there since 2009, and they should have been more careful, especially since he had such specific health needs.

On that day, while eating lunch, Craig choked on his sandwich and collapsed. The carer didn’t realize anything was wrong until much later, thinking he was just taking a nap. Unfortunately, by the time help arrived, he was already gone.

The coroner also raised concerns about the staff’s training in emergency situations. They really need to be more aware and not just assume someone is sleeping when they’re not. The chief executive of Bolton Cares has until early February to respond to these findings.

Bolton council expressed their sadness over the situation and said they’re working hard to improve care standards. They want to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again. It’s just heartbreaking for everyone involved.