A PENSIONER devastated by the death of her aunt nearly three years ago has finally got some closure after her inquest was finally heard, thanks to pressure from the Essex Chronicle.
Ann Johnson, 66, of Stebbing, was heartbroken when her aunt, Elizabeth Pearce, 79, died just a few days after moving into a care home.
But she says her grief was compounded when delays in the Essex Coroners' Service meant she could not claim her life insurance without a death certificate, struggled to pay her funeral fees and could not close her bank accounts.
Ann heard from the coroner's office shortly after her aunt's death in January 2010, contacted them in the summer of 2010, but then did not hear a thing until the Chronicle chased them last month.
At the inquest in Chelmsford last Wednesday, husband, Ian, 68, said: "Well done Essex Chronicle, at last we have a result!"
Ann said: "There was not much in her bank, but it was frustrating not being able to close her accounts and finish the paperwork.
"Thankfully, her building society let me have some money to pay for her funeral using an interim death certificate.
"But now we can put it all to one side, that is as soon as the certificate comes through the post.
"I just hope other people can learn something out of our situation, and maybe come forward to speak to the Chronicle like we did, otherwise we may not be in this position now.
"Imagine if somebody committed suicide and they have got to wait all that time for some closure, it must be awful.
"I am going to sort the paperwork out and then we will get on with our lives."
Elizabeth died in Redbond Lodge Residential Home, Dunmow, on January 13 2010. She was very ill, having breast cancer and a fractured leg in 2008, a fractured skull in 2009, suffered from Addison's Disease for 20 years and had dementia.
On December 31 2009 she had a fall at her home, Alan Hasler House, Great Dunmow, and was taken into Broomfield Hospital where she was treated for her injuries.
She took a number of drugs for her Addison's Disease, a condition which means the body does not produce enough of certain hormones.
On leaving the hospital, Elizabeth was taken to Redbond while her own home was being tidied on January 7.
She was discharged from hospital, without her important 5mg prescription of prednisolone and her discharge sheets had not been filled in.
But a postmortem examination said there were no unusual circumstances and she most likely died of heart failure. Coroner Tina Harrington ruled that Miss Pearce died of natural causes.
Mrs Johnson, who now cares full-time for her elderly father, said after the inquest: "We are all coping now, but afterwards you think of all the things you could have asked.
"I looked after her as best I could, but it was hard, I was really all she had once mummy died.
"It was a long wait, but we were not going to give up. When the coroner's office phoned they said aunty was next on the list to be seen, but how true that is I do not know."
