Colin Flatt was described during the recent inquest as a fit and active man, who played football professionally, which included stints at Cambridge United, Leyton Orient and Southend United.
In May 2021, he was suffering from memory loss and was admitted to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford with a low heart rate.
He was assessed by the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Flatt was transferred to Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford, east London – after incidents of “violence and aggression” – and was detained under the Mental Health Act.
On Wednesday, the 10-person jury at Essex Coroner’s Court concluded there was a missed opportunity when a mental health tribunal approved his discharge from Goodmayes in June 2021.
The following month, after being admitted to Basildon Hospital, Flatt stabbed himself with scissors in the abdomen and climbed over a landing.
He fell about 5m (16ft) on to a glass table and died in the September.