My Nan was v elderly and after suffering a stroke had a year of bad health and complications. Infection after infection and died in hospital. The nurses said she didn’t have long so went and saw her she was doing the ‘death rattle’ breathing. It was very sad but to me typical of someone old who’d had a stroke and whose body was too old to cope with it all any more.
She had some big red marks which looked like ‘leaked’ blood on her face (I wouldn’t call it a bruise on the traditional sense) and has done for a while. This was questioned when they appeared and as she was bed bound due to stroke the nurses said she was on blood thinners which caused bruising on her face (she would scratch at it). I never questioned this as I’ve seen this type of thing on skin of the elderly .
When she went into hospital the hospital marked it as a safeguarding concern. it was explained what it was. After she died the Coroner then marked the death as unknown so now the police are asking some preliminary questions to anyone who saw her regularly (not me!).
I am quite baffled as to me it’s quite obvious why she died, she was a very old and poorly lady and her body just gave up? And she was in hospital on palliative care due to these issues so hardly an unexpected death?
Does anyone who works in this area have more info on the process? Is this fairly normal process? I was really surprised by it. Thanks x