Woman Died After Fall in Nursing Home – Alarm Ignored 16 Times

A woman died after a fall accident at a nursing home in Tidaholm municipality, after her call for help was ignored during the night. Despite activating her personal alarm 16 times, it took about an hour and a half before staff found her on the floor. The incident is now being investigated both internally and by external authorities.

The municipality’s own incident analysis shows that the alarms were turned off remotely without any staff member going to check on the woman. The investigation describes this behavior as a systematic rejection of alarms.

“It raises strong emotions and is unacceptable,” says social director Erik Linde to SR.

Found Severely Injured

The woman is reported to have fallen and hit her head during the night in April. It was not until much later that staff discovered her, after which she was taken to hospital, where she died shortly thereafter.

According to the municipality’s investigation, the woman is believed to have experienced both fear, anxiety, and helplessness while waiting for help.

In-depth Investigation Ongoing

Tidaholm municipality has filed a Lex Maria report with the Health and Social Care Inspectorate (Ivo). Skaraborg Hospital has also reportedly filed a police report regarding the incident. Erik Linde says that the municipality is now proceeding with a more in-depth review of how the alarms were handled.

“The important thing to say now is that we have an ongoing in-depth investigation regarding that very question of systematic issues, and we are moving forward with both clear actions and ensuring this will never happen again,” he says.

An employee, whose background is not specified, has been suspended with pay since the incident. The municipality also says that alarm and supervision routines are now being reviewed, and that efforts to further strengthen patient safety are underway.