THE DEATH of a great grandmother who fell from a hoist at care home was “accidental”, an inquest has ruled.

May Ward, 100, was being transferred to her bed by a hoist and sling which carers were not trained to use, Hatfield Coroner’s Court heard on Tuesday.

Jurors at the inquest also heard Mrs Ward, who was living at Meppershall Nursing Home, was moved to her bed after the fall, which could have made her injuries worse.

She died a day after the incident, on August 28 2010.

The jury yesterday (Wednesday) returned a verdict of accidental death.

A post-mortem found Mrs Ward died from multiple skull fractures and intracerebral haematoma, and ischaemic heart disease.

Speaking to the Comet, Mrs Ward’s son John talked about how his mother – the “life and soul of the party” was a former pub landlandy.

“She always said she would make it to 100,” he said.

Daughter-in-law Lesley Ward added: “It’s a shame she died in that manner after all she’d lived through – two world wars and ran a few smokey pubs. [She] deserved a lot more and when she needed the help most she was badly let down.”