The 'heartbroken' family of a care home resident who died after swallowing her dentures said they hoped the woman’s death ‘wasn’t in vain’.
Valerie Keeble, 90, died more than a week after swallowing the dental plate at The Grange nursing home, Stanford in the Vale, last September.
Following an inquest into Mrs Keeble’s death, held at Oxford’s County Hall this week, her family said they’d hoped to ‘honour her memory’.
In a statement, Mrs Keeble’s husband David and her daughters Helen Davison, Jane Kirkham, Ali Keeble-Smith and Sarah Keeble-King said: “Valerie was the best wife, mum and grandma any of us could have wished for, and we are all still so heartbroken that she is no longer here.
“There’s not a day gone by in the past 10 months that we haven’t thought of her and how much we miss her. Trying to come to terms with what happened has been incredibly difficult for us all, and it’s been made worse by not knowing the full facts as to why she died.
READ MORE: Woman, 90, died after swallowing dentures
“We know nothing can bring her back but at least we’ve been able to honour her memory by getting some answers.
“All we can hope for now is that her death wasn’t in vain and others won’t suffer like she did.”
Valerie Keeble Picture: KEEBLE FAMILY
Their lawyers, Irwin Mitchell, described the last 10 months as incredibly difficult for the family.
Solicitor Eleanor Giblin said: “The inquest and listening to the circumstances as to why Valerie died has been hard for the family. While nothing can make up for the pain they continue to suffer we’re pleased that we’ve at least been able to help provide them with the answers they deserve.”
During the inquest, Mrs Keeble was described by the care home staff who knew her as a 'lovely' and 'chatty' lady.
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on news@nqo.com or 01865 425 445.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here