Man left with 22 staples in head

THE sister of a man living in an HSE-run facility for people with intellectual disability has expressed serious concern following an incident which left her brother with 22 staples in his head.

Marcella O’Sullivan’s brother Paul, 44, has lived at Grove House for about 20 years, but his sister maintains the care given to him is not what is should be.

On the grounds of St Mary’s Orthopaedic Hospital in Cork, Grove House is a secure unit for 30 intellectually disabled people.

Last week, Ms O’Sullivan got a call from Grove House telling her to come and see Paul as he had sustained a cut to his head. When she got there, she found her brother had 22 staples in his head.

“I was told he had been head-butted but to me it looks like a blow to the head,” she said. “It was documented that staff who were supposed to be watching Paul were present at the time it happened, but they still didn’t manage to step in and prevent the incident.

“I took Paul out and he was dazed and had blood running down his head. Then I had to bring him back and leave him at the door.” As Grove House is a secure unit, family members are not allowed past a visitors’ room.

“I just don’t know what is going on in there and I am at my wits’ end,” she said.

Ms O’Sullivan has been vocal in her criticism of the home and has tried without success to have her brother moved. She first told the story of Grove House in this newspaper 10 years ago but little has changed for Paul.

When in opposition, the minister with responsibility for disability Kathleen Lynch called it “the most inappropriate place one could possibly imagine”, while former MEP and disability campaigner Kathy Sinnott maintained that visiting it was one of the saddest experiences of her life.

There is currently no independent inspection of disability services. Ms Lynch said residential homes and services for people with disabilities will be inspected by the Health Information and Quality Authority but it will take another 18 months for the process to start.

The HSE said staff are available to discuss any concerns that might arise and to work with clients and family members in order to resolve any issues and address concerns as quickly as possible. A formal complaints policy is also available, it said.