Pensioner who died after leg broken 'not hurt while being lifted'
Staff, who were disciplined for lifting a 91-year-old widow who was found with a broken leg the next day, have told a jury that she was not injured at the time.
Iris Teale had been incorrectly lifted from her bed at Aston Court Nursing Home by two care assistants without using a hoist, Birmingham Crown Court was told.
The prosecution argue that she was not badly hurt from that occasion and instead allege nurse Santhosh Rajan, of Walsall, mishandled the grandmother a day later.
It is claimed that the fractured femur was a significant contributory factor in her death two weeks later and Rajan, of Bentley Lane, is on trial accused of manslaughter.
Rachel Foulger and Kerry Pemberton, who worked at the Little Aston-based nursing home, told jurors that Mrs Teale was not hurt in the lifting incident on October 7, 2011.
They accepted that not using a hoist was wrong when getting ready to take the frail 91 year old to lunch.
But insisted there was no sign of injury and Mrs Teale had made no mention of anything.
Mrs Foulger, who was suspended and then resigned from the home, said: "As far as I am aware she wasn't injured – to my knowledge she wasn't hurt in anyway."
Ms Pemberton, who was also disciplined following the incident, saw Mrs Teale the morning afterwards and she was not injured.
When asked if the pensioner had expressed any pain she said: "No, otherwise I would have reported it."
It is claimed that there must have been a high level of force to cause a leg break when Mrs Teale was discovered with the injuries on October 8.
Records showed nurse Rajan had been in the room beforehand, but he said Mrs Teale was sleeping.
The leg injury came to light when he went into her room with a care assistant at just after 10pm.
Mrs Teale was taken to Good Hope Hospital, Sutton Coldfield, and died just over two weeks later due to a number of health factors.
But the prosecution say the leg injury was a significant factor.
Mrs Teale had been a resident at Aston Court Care and Residential home in Little Aston near Sutton Coldfield since 2006 having previously suffered a stroke.
The trial was previously told that records for her showed that the monitoring of her care at the nursing home could have been better.
Rajan, aged 39, of Bentley Lane, denies manslaughter. The trial, which is expected to last up to a month, continues.
