The family of a 79-year-old grandmother today claimed she would still be alive if the nursing home had not delayed emergency services.
Mrs Maureen Stanley, who was a resident in Bedford Nursing Home in Dublin's Balbriggan, died on October 26th, 2003 after what had appeared to be a choking incident.
Mr Ian Ryan, who was Mrs Stanley's grandson, told the Dublin City Coroner's Court: "We are still dumbfounded about it."
He said the family was upset an ambulance or medical personnel had not reached the scene quicker.
Ms Marie Anne Adred, a staff nurse in charge that day, told the inquest that when Mrs Stanley was given her morning medicine she appeared to choke.
"As she took the first capsule she coughed and started loosing consciousness," she said.
Ms Janet Oman Power, one of the ambulance technicians called to the scene, told the inquest that they were delayed in reaching the patient at the nursing home after their arrival at 10.39 a.m. "In gaining access to the nursing home we knocked quite a few times, the lights were on in the vehicle so it was obvious the ambulance was there. "It was five or six minutes before we could gain access," she said.
The ambulance staff told the court that when they got inside they had to ask directions and were pointed down the corridor.
The inquest heard they had to request directions a further time. "There was no evidence of oxygen or life-saving material in the vicinity," she said.
Ms Power told the court Mrs Stanley was laid out with a candle burning in her room. She said there were obvious signs of "cooling" and she had probably been dead around 20 minutes.
The court heard the staff had given her the Heimlich manoeuvre, attempted to resuscitate her and called an ambulance.
Mr Ryan told the court that the delays were despicable in this day and age and there should have been someone there to let them in. "Then when they got in there was no-one to show them where she is. It is disgraceful."
Nurse Adred told the court that had asked another staff member to let them in as she was on the phone trying to get a general practitioner to come to the home.
The post mortem report showed that there was no evidence there was anything blocking Mrs Stanley's throat. The court heard the pensioner had her leg amputated due to diabetes and had vascular problems. The coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, adjourned the inquest before the exact cause of Mrs Stanley's death was explained. The inquest heard that Mrs Stanley was on anti-depressants, which her family questioned the reason behind.
Dr Farrell postponed closing the inquest to find more information on toxicology tests which showed a high level of medication and to look for more evidence about what happened on the day.