This article is from page 17 of the 2007-07-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 17 JPG
THE patient at the centre of an in- vestigation into treatment at an Ennis nursing home was “not dehydrated or in a medication induced coma as al- leged” according to the HSE.
In answers to a series of questions dating back to late November regard- ing the treatment of the late Gerard Finn at Cappahard Lodge Nursing Home, the HSE said a complaint that the Kilrush man was returned to En- nis General Hospital with bruising and dehydration in July 2006, was investigated by two senior nurses.
While denying the patient was dehydrated, the HSE said that two bruises “described as a pinch mark or a finger prick”’ were found.
Mr Finn had also been admitted to the county hospital in March of that year, where he was diagnosed with a respiratory tract infection in the presence of advanced dementia.
Allegations of bruising to the arms and head were also made at the wneales
“No evidence of any maltreatment was found by the GP or the consult- ant at Ennis General Hospital. The patient had suffered two falls in the week preceding admission and was x-rayed. It was concluded that the cause of the falls was advanced de- mentia with recurring TIAs (tran- sient ischemic attacks),” said HSE.
It also said that Mr Finn was not medically fit to leave Cappahard Lodge, Ennis, when his daugh- ter wished to remove him from the home.
According to the HSE he was taken to visit his daughter’s home when he was fit to do so but his daughter was not allowed to take him from the home on Father’s Day 2006 as he was not medically well enough.
The HSE confirmed that it used re- straints on the 69-year-old Kilrush man “on a needs basis with a seat belt
in an appropriate chair for short peri- ods for health and safety reasons.”
It also stated that the restraints policy at Cappahard Lodge was “evi- dence based best practice in accord- ance with national norms.”
The HSE ordered an external in- dependent review last May into the treatment of Mr Finn at the home fol- lowing concerns raised by a number of parties including staff.
A separate Garda investigation 1s also under way following complaints made by some family members of the Kilrush man.
Mr Finn was admitted to the home in December 2005 with Alzheimer’s and angina. During an “extended period of time” some of his family members made a number of com- plaints to the HSE regarding his care at Cappahard Lodge.
The complaints were investigated by the Clinical Director and Direc- tor of Nursing, Clare Mental Health Services. The “screening process” found that no abusive actions had taken place and that “nursing and medical care provided for Mr Finn was appropriate’.
The HSE said that as a result no further investigation was warranted.
Following the Trust in Care investi- gation the HSE continued to receive complaints from some family mem- bers. The external review was then commissioned, prior to Mr Finn’s death at the home in June.
‘The HSE is confident that all pa- tients in Cappahard are well and pro- fessionally catered for,’ a HSE state- ment said.
Mr Finn’s widow Ann said repeat- edly she had no issue with her late husband’s treatment at the Ennis home and was full of praise for its staff. Last night the HSE confirmed that the terms of reference for the independent review were being final- ised and the review was expected to begin shortly.