Coroner's Finding: Haynes, Barbara Ann

89y · Female·head injury

Barbara Ann Haynes, aged 89, died from a head injury sustained in a fall at an aged care facility on 29 March 2020, with death occurring 13 days later on 11 April 2020. She had Alzheimer's dementia, osteoporosis, and a history of multiple incidents including assaults by other residents with dementia. The fall was unwitnessed; CCTV footage was unavailable as the facility only retained recordings for 7 days. She sustained a right subdural haematoma, temporal lobe contusion, and subarachnoid haemorrhage. She was deemed unsuitable for neurosurgery due to brain damage severity and comorbidities, and received palliative care. The coroner found care appropriate and no preventability issues, though the case highlights risks in aged care settings housing dementia patients together without adequate supervision or environmental safeguards.