‘No justice, no closure’: Widow speaks out on treatment of husband who died of sepsis after head wound not properly addressed

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Ultan Meehan had an infested head wound when he arrived at hospital from a nursing home in 2020 and died weeks later. His widow Mary wants answers from HSE

The unpublished report, conducted by independent patient-safety consultant Cornelia Stuart, finds Kilbrew “[failed] to provide care appropriate to the specific dementia care and wound care needs of [Ultan Meehan]”.

Completed in February, the report makes 24 recommendations around the specific care needs of dementia patients. wound management, communication and note-keeping, and the role of HSE safeguarding officers. Mr Meehan had been diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2012. By 2020 Mrs Bartley-Meehan was “terrified” he would wander from the house at night. She knew Kilbrew did not offer specialised dementia care but on February 6th, 2020, when he left a respite placement, she had just two days to decide, as approval for the Fair Deal scheme was about to expire.

Her son, Adrian Bartley, who had Down syndrome and died of pneumonia in March 2020 aged 52, was already in KIlbrew nursing home as a more suitable residential care setting could not be found for him. It is about 30km from her home just outside Navan. “He looked very unkempt and appeared distressed ... His nails were partly broken, long and filthy with congealed blood from scraping his wound.” She cut his nails.

Mrs Bartley-Meehan spent an hour with him the day he died. “It is of some comfort to me to know he was clean, pain-free; to know how peaceful and well cared-for he was there,” she says. It recommends, “the Department of Health consider the need to extend safeguarding policies and structures in the health and social care sector to comprehend private care providers”.

 

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