Father (96) suffered ‘unnecessary trauma’ before death, says son

The son of an elderly man who died at Cavan General Hospital has criticised the care he received in his final hours.

Eugene McCaul, from Redhills in Co Cavan, has criticised the care received by his 96-year-old father Seán McCaul, who died in the hospital on March 1st.

Mr McCaul said his father had spent nine weeks in a nursing home before being admitted to Cavan General.

“My father was in good health for a man of his age and voted in the general election on the Friday [February 26th] before he died,” said Mr McCaul.

Mr McCaul was a widower; his wife Kathleen died in 1979 from cancer. He had four children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was a keen fisherman who fished competitively and represented Ireland when he was 76.

“My father became very ill that weekend and was unable to eat his breakfast on the Sunday morning [February 28th] so a doctor was contacted by the nursing home. The doctor did not get to see my father until 9pm that night,” said Mr McCaul.

He said his father was diagnosed with pneumonia and was sent to Cavan hospital’s emergency department, where he spent several hours on a trolley.

“My father was gravely ill and then to make matters worse he fell off the trolley. He then had to endure a long wait to be X-rayed to rule out a fracture despite the fact the man was very weak at this stage.”

He said his father received a bed in a ward later that day and died at 4am the next day.

“He did not have an easy death. He was in pain for hours and was tossing and turning.

“What added to his unnecessary trauma and distress was falling from a height off a trolley and on to a hard floor,” said Mr McCaul.

Mr McCaul said the emergency department in which his father was treated was “wholly unsuitable”.

A hospital spokeswoman said they did not comment on individual patient care.