Stanley O'Neill was not showered for three months and was found wrapping a cord around his neckAn elderly dementia patient was failed by the system put in place to protect Northern Ireland's most vulnerable adults.Despite healthcare guidelines, those and other failings were not referred for adult safeguarding investigations.
"The Covid-19 pandemic was an unprecedented period for the adult social care sector and although we offer no excuses we were faced with unique stresses and an enormously challenging climate." Sophie added: "I was completely shocked and couldn't understand why it had taken so long to inform his family.Sophie O'Neill and her grandfather were incredibly close
Sophie said: "The whole point of a safeguarding referral is to protect someone so this was too late for my granddad." there was a failure to engage with the family to better communicate with them in an open and transparent waya failure by the nursing home to provide adequate oral careafter a number of falls in the nursing home, it did not recommend any changes to prevent or reduce future falls
The failings identified in Mr O'Neill's case come as the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman has been raising concerns about Northern Ireland's adult safeguarding system. a resident who suffered a fractured leg after not being treated appropriately and also choked on her dentures for 24 hours before the care home realised