News, East Midlands
Getty ImagesA coroner has called for clear warnings to be placed on armchair lap belts for the elderly following the death of a 72-year-old woman with Parkinson’s disease.
Susan Lakin suffered with mobility problems and was bought the armchair belt restraint by her family to keep her safe after she started to fall out of bed and her seat.
However, the belt became caught around her neck after she slipped down in her armchair and she died as a result.
Coroner Isobel Thistlethwaite has now issued a prevention of future deaths report calling for the government to ensure appropriate warnings are issued on lap belts, which are categorised as “high risk” equipment by the NHS.
Armchair belts are often single straps of padded material which fit around the lower torso of the person using it while they are sitting upright, with the aim of holding them in place.
The item bought online for Mrs Lakin promised to provide “adequate trunk stability” and to minimise the chance of “injuries, tilting or slipping”.
She had used it for more than 15 months without issue before she died at her home in Leicestershire on 19 February 2024, according to the coroner’s report.
It said: “CCTV cameras captured Mrs Lakin slipping down her armchair and underneath the lap belt which then becomes caught around her neck.
“Mrs Lakin was unable to self-rescue by mobilising in the way that some people might be able to and therefore remained trapped, and effectively suspended by the lap belt around her neck, until she was found by a family member who visited her.
“Mrs Lakin died shortly after she was found.”
‘High risk’
Mrs Lakin’s cause of death was recorded as “respiratory compromise by support belt” and “postural impairment” along with her Parkinson’s disease and a rare neurological condition called corticobasal syndrome.
The coroner said Mrs Lakin’s family bought the lap belt with “good intentions” as they wanted to keep her safe.
But the report added: “The advertisement and sales particulars contain no warning about the risks that are associated with the use of the lap belt, nor any suggestion that the lap belt should be used or fitted under the guidance or supervision of a therapist or medical professional.
“The evidence heard at the inquest was that the lap belt should be considered a ‘high risk’ piece of equipment, it is categorised as such in the local NHS trust’s Standard Operating Procedure.
“It is concerning that people who have no healthcare training at all can purchase high risk equipment for their loved ones online without being appraised of those risks.”
The coroner’s report has been sent to the Department for Health and Social Care, the Medicine and Healthcare Products and Regulatory Agency and the Care Quality Commission as well as Amazon UK.
The governmental organisations have been given 56 days to respond.
