Daughter says she will sue Amarna Care Home, York, after mother's death

Kay Sainsbury, 79, was a resident at Amarna House Care Home, in Acomb, for three weeks before she was taken to intensive care at York Hospital by ambulance on July 4, 2020, an inquest heard.

She had high blood sugar levels and was suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening condition caused by lack of insulin in the body.

She died in hospital on July 8 with her daughter Catherine Staniforth at her bedside.

At the end of a Northallerton inquest, assistant coroner Oliver Langstaff said he had heard “conflicting evidence” about insulin supply for Mrs Sainsbury to the home.

Mrs Staniforth, a retired nurse with a degree in social work, said: “I have instructed solicitors to pursue a civil claim against Amarna House Care Home, which is part of Avery Health Care Homes.”

Her mother, who had had diabetes for decades, had never had diabetic ketoacidosis before July 2020.

Care worker Sammy Jo Gore told the inquest that supplies of a fast acting insulin drug called NovaRapid at the home were insufficient to give a full dosage when Mrs Sainsbury’s blood sugars rose too high on July 4.

She said she had not given the medicine she had available to Mrs Sainsbury because Mrs Sainsbury had had an empty stomach.

Asked if she was aware of a company policy that she should have sought professional medical assistance, she said she had acted according to her training.

Manager of the home in Rosetta Way, Acomb, Linda Donnellan-Beevers, told the inquest its staff were fully trained in how to deal with diabetic residents.

She had sought assurances that the home would receive support from a health service diabetic team before accepting Mrs Sainsbury as a resident.

She said pandemic restrictions on people coming into the home meant staff took on some district nurse roles in the administering of insulin.

Mr Langstaff recorded a finding of death by natural causes including DKA.

He said he didn’t need to decide which evidence about insulin supply was correct because the DKA Mrs Sainsbury had had on July 4 had cleared up after she was admitted to hospital.

The condition had reoccurred shortly before she died.

A statement from the home after the inquest said: “The Amarna House Care Home team continues to provide the very best care and support to the elderly residents that reside with them.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the late Mrs Sainsbury at this time.”