Brother 'sickened' by malnourished sister's death

The brother of elderly Wexford woman Evelyn Joel said tonight he was shocked and sickened by her death.

The bed-ridden woman died days after being found in a severely malnourished state in her daughter’s home in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

Her brother, Tom Connolly, spoke of the effect it had had on his family at a news conference.

“We’re completely shocked and numbed and sickened by it. That’s the effect it’s had on us. My brother couldn’t come today. He couldn’t cope with this,” he said.

Ms Joel, who was in her late 50s and believed to have been confined to bed as a result of arthritis and another condition, was admitted to Wexford General Hospital on New Year’s Day. She died six days later, weighing less than four stone.

Mr Connolly has been estranged from his sister Eleanor, who had been looking after his mother, and has claimed that he was shown the door for six months when he attempted to call to see her.

He said he hoped the proper authorities would deal with his mother’s death.

“Whatever they come up with we’ll accept that. There will be a thorough investigation and that’s all I can say,” he said.

Tánaiste Mary Harney claimed there had been huge failings leading to the woman’s death.

“It is absolutely tragic to read the reports of Evelyn Joel’s death. Words cannot describe how one would feel in relation to the matter and I think we obviously have to be sympathetic in relation to everyone’s concerns here,” she said.

“But above all else the state has to ensure that where possible we have vigorous processes in place to make sure that something like this could not happen again.”

Ms Harney said no blame should be apportioned until an inquiry had examined all the facts.

“I think we have to respect the fact that this is not a matter for political dispute. I don’t think that has anything to do with this situation,” the Tánaiste said.

“I think we need to await the outcome of an inquiry before we make a decision as to what went wrong and who is to blame, and clearly there are huge failings.”

The HSE announced that Dr Joe Duggan, a consultant from the Mater Hospital, would head its investigation team.

The other two members are Tom O’Dwyer, the former deputy chief executive of the Southern Health Board, and Marie Faughey, the former Director of Public Health Nursing in the Eastern Region.

The team will comprehensively review the services provided by the HSE to Ms Joel in the two years leading up to her death, and will have full access to all files and records.

The HSE said the team would deliver its recommendations according to its own timeframe but added that the report would be completed at the earliest possible opportunity.

Gardaí have launched a criminal ivestigation to discover whether the woman, whose funeral took place in the town at the foot of Vinegar Hill on Tuesday, was the victim of neglect.

The county coroner requested the State Pathologist’s office carry out a post-mortem exam at Waterford General Hospital. Gardaí said the results of the post mortem would not be released.