Family Left Devastated After Grandfather Chokes on a Chicken Nugget at Care Home

In a tragic incident that has left a family devastated and raised serious concerns about care standards, 75-year-old Bob Buckley, a grandfather with dementia, choked to death on a chicken nugget at The Chase care home in Canterbury after two staff members failed to follow essential instructions to cut up his food. As reported by The Mirror, the inquest into Bob’s death revealed a series of preventable errors, leaving his loved ones heartbroken and seeking answers.

Bob, a cherished family man, required specialized care due to his dementia and a known risk of choking. His food needed to be cut into small pieces, and he required close supervision while eating. On the fateful day of August 11, 2019, these vital precautions were overlooked. Bob was served whole chicken nuggets and half a baby carrot—food he could not safely consume.

The inquest heard that Bob had a history of “pouching” his food in his mouth and eating too quickly, behaviors that were well-known to the care home staff and documented in his risk assessment. Despite these warnings, the care home failed to take the necessary steps to ensure his safety. When Bob began choking, staff attempted to dislodge the food using back slaps and a thrusting technique, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Paramedics arrived quickly, but due to a do-not-resuscitate order, they did not attempt to revive him.

Coroner Ian Brownhill stated, “The food was not cut into small pieces, and paramedics were surprised at the size of the food removed from Bob’s airway.” The inquest revealed that two carers were responsible for the neglect. One carer served Bob the uncut food, while the other, who was supposed to supervise him, left him and other residents unsupervised. “She was walking up and down in the lounge when Bob was choking,” Brownhill said.

Bob’s stepdaughter, Lisa Parrott, expressed the family’s grief and anger, particularly over the care home’s lack of communication and apology following the tragedy. “Five years after Bob’s death, no one from the home has ever contacted Mum and apologized after that initial call to tell her what happened. How heartless is that?”

The Chase care home faced intense scrutiny after the incident. Five days after Bob’s death, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the home as “inadequate.” Since then, the care home has implemented changes, including new management and updated policies. In May 2023, the CQC assessed the home as “Good” in both safety and leadership.

Despite these improvements, Bob’s family remains haunted by the preventable nature of his death and the years of silence that followed.