Inquest considers whether care of Adelaide man's bed sores was 'appropriate and reasonable'

An inquest into John Allen's death is being held in South Australia's Coroners Court. (ABC News: Dean Faulkner)

An inquest is being held into the death of John Michael Henry Allen, an Adelaide man who was treated for bed sores before his death in September 2022.

Nurses told the inquest Mr Allen appeared to be in pain in the weeks before he died.

A coronial inquest will investigate whether an aged care facility in Adelaide's inner north appropriately treated the bed sores a 79-year-old man with dementia developed in the weeks before his death.

John Michael Henry Allen died on September 9, 2022, at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, with his cause of death determined to be advanced Alzheimer's dementia with a background of pressure sores.

Opening the inquest in South Australia's Coroners Court on Tuesday, counsel assisting the coroner Rebecca Schell said Mr Allen had been diagnosed with advanced Alzheimer's in 2016 and resided at the Bupa Enfield aged care facility from 2019 until his death.

Ms Schell said the inquest would explore whether the treatment of Mr Allen's bed sores was "appropriate and reasonable over the period of July to August 2022".

She said it would also consider whether his death could have been prevented if the aged care facility had managed his sores differently.

Mr Allen lived at Bupa Aged Care Enfield from 2019. (ABC News: William Hunter)

Ms Schell told the court Mr Allen was transferred to the Royal Adelaide Hospital on August 21, 2022, after his daughter "had difficulty interacting with him and … was concerned with his mobility".

Upon his admission to hospital, Mr Allen was found to have a "5-centimetre necrotic lesion" on his buttocks and a "stage three" ulcer on his foot.

Ms Schell said Mr Allen was "treated with intravenous antibiotics" and underwent "regular wound dressings" and "two hourly pressure area care".

"Mr Allen's admission was complicated by his rapid atrial fibrillation, poor oral intake and resistance to care," Ms Schell said.

"Following discussions with a family member, the decision was taken to cease oral antibiotics."

Ms Schell said Mr Allen's other medication, as well as his wound care, was continued in the hope his condition would stabilise.

However, she said his "oral intake continued to decline" and he became "clinically dehydrated", resulting in him being transferred to palliative care on September 1, 2022.

Ms Schell said, before Mr Allen's death, staff at Bupa Enfield aged care facility had noticed and treated his sores by dressing them — and at one stage had given him antibiotics.

She added that