THE death of a pensioner after a fall in a care home “should not have happened”, a coroner has ruled.

His family are planning to take legal action against Oaklands Rest Home, where Desmond Reglar was staying for just eight hours before his fall.

They believe that the 92-year-old would still be alive today if carers at the home had not put him in a room which was judged to be “unsuitable for his needs” by coroner Keith Wiseman.

Mr Reglar was admitted to the care home in Veals Close, Marchwood, on January 31 for respite care after suffering a number of falls at his home in Blackfield.

But just eight hours after his sister, Sheila Towers, and her daughter, Karon Stevens, left him for the evening they received a call telling them he was in hospital after a fall.

Southampton’s Coroner Court heard he had become unsettled after they left and opened an unsecured door in his room, which led outside, where he fell. He suffered a fractured pelvis and died 26 days later in Southampton General Hospital.

An investigation by Hampshire County Council’s adult safeguarding team was launched, which found that the room was not suitable for a patient of Mr Reglar’s needs. They discovered that during the evening he had tried to open several doors in the home, including the one in his room, which they believed should have led to carers moving him to another room.

Collette Puntis, co-ordinator of the team, said: “This should have indicated to carers that the room was not appropriate. That was a clear indication that something needed to happen then to minimise the risk.”

Respite admissions to the home were suspended over concerns about failure to carry out full assessments of patient’s needs before they arrived.

Ruling the cause of death was accidental, coroner Keith Wiseman said: “It should not have happened in this way and that is clearly recognised. The room was unsuitable for someone of his needs.”

Speaking after the inquest, Mrs Towers said: “I looked after him for 19 years and then all of a sudden he is out of my sight for just eight hours and he is in hospital. That is what really upsets me. All I needed was a few hours respite be-cause I was getting worn out and I had put my faith in these people to care for him.”

Niece Mrs Stevens, added: “We want to take this further because I believe he would still be alive today if he wasn’t put in that home.”