Margaret Eluned Roberts, a 99-year-old woman from Wales, passed away after a heartbreaking incident at her nursing home. Despite living with blindness, she was known for her strong will and self-reliance. This unfortunate event took place at the Glan Rhos nursing home on a seemingly ordinary day, September 22, 2024.
According to Kate Robertson, a senior coroner in northwest Wales, Roberts experienced a terrible accident. She got a burn on her leg from spilling hot tea all over herself.
What followed was a decline in her health. Mrs. Roberts, who was looking forward to her 100th birthday in September 2025, ended up in the hospital with severe burns from the tea. Then, she got a cellulitis infection and pneumonia, which made it very hard to breathe. These health problems, combined with her other issues like asthma and heart disease, made it too much for her to handle.
She passed away on October 28th. The coroner said it was “an accident” because her health was getting worse.
“[She] wanted to reach 100 years old,” Robertson told Linda Pritchard, Roberts’ daughter.
“It would have been such a significant milestone.”
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Sarah Thomas, a carer at the residence, shared with WalesOnline that she had offered the tea to Roberts because the elderly lady was adamant about holding the cup independently. Thomas even described her usual behavior as “very independent.”
Yet, this particular instance of her self-reliance ended in an unfortunate way.
A Blind 99-Year-Old Woman ‘Wanted to Reach 100,’ but Died Before She Could Due to Nursing Home Incident Involving Spilled Tea https://t.co/5F8HKu1dwI
— People (@people) August 23, 2025
Jo Reavey, a nursing professional at Glan Rhos, recounted discovering Roberts “distraught with her arms raised” following the tea spill. After receiving initial care at Ysbyty Gwynedd, the 99-year-old woman was temporarily brought back to her nursing home, only to be admitted again to the hospital.
Tragically, she did not recover and passed away there.
The story, which appeared in People and WalesOnline, shows the serious outcomes that minor incidents can have on the lives of the elderly in care facilities. The nursing home and medical center involved have yet to issue any statements regarding the matter.
Hi. Today we’re looking at how we treat our olds. It turns out, poorly! America’s network of assisted living and nursing home facilities are largely more concerned with squeezing out profits than taking care of seniors.https://t.co/Tuf8D8IK81 pic.twitter.com/37eBpeusVm
— Some More News (@SomeMoreNews) March 12, 2025
The heart-wrenching event is not merely a piece of data but a real-life story of a woman, Miss Roberts, who lived almost a hundred years, only to have her last moments marred by an unfortunate tea incident. For her loved ones, the pain of this lost year will be an enduring and painful reminder of the fragility of life in our twilight years.
