Coroner issues warning after woman dies in fall

A coroner has warned of potential risks to elderly social housing residents after an 88-year-old woman died following a fall.

Catherine Oliver died after suffering a "fractured neck of femur" - a broken hip - in a fall at her Sanctuary Housing-managed home in December 2025, an inquest heard.

A prevention of future deaths report by Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Graham said boxes left in her living room for several weeks following maintenance work restricted her ability to "move safely around her home".

Sanctuary Housing, a not-for-profit housing association, said it had co-operated fully with the inquest and would address the concerns raised.

The inquest heard that, in the weeks before her fall, contractors working at the property - where Oliver lived independently - had removed items from the loft and placed them in the living room.

The boxes remained there for nearly four weeks, despite requests from Oliver and her family for them to be removed, the coroner said.

He added that, although the boxes were stacked neatly, they "significantly reduced" the available space to a "narrow walkway".

Oliver fell on 8 December and was later found injured in the confined space between her armchair and the stacked boxes.

She died following complications linked to the injury.

Graham said it was not possible to determine whether the boxes directly caused the fall but that their prolonged presence created a "mobility hazard".

In his report, sent to Sanctuary's chief executive Craig Moule, Graham raised concerns about a lack of clear policies on how long items can be left in living spaces during maintenance work.

He warned that similar situations in other properties, particularly those occupied by elderly or vulnerable tenants, could pose a risk of serious harm or death.

A spokesperson for Sanctuary said: "We co-operated fully with the inquest and our thoughts remain with Mrs Oliver's family following their loss.

"We will ensure that the concerns raised in the notice from the coroner are addressed in full."