Family of woman who died after suffering two broken legs in care home urge people to visit loved ones

Mary Melody, 89, fell out of her wheelchair in a Clare community hospital but was not brought to University Hospital Limerick until two days after the unwitnessed fall

Mary Melody, who died after suffering two broken legs at a HSE care home in Co Clare.

An elderly woman died after suffering two broken legs at a HSE care home where staff did not call for medical assistance for the woman for two days.

The family of Mary Melody, 89, who died after an unwitnessed incident at Raheen community hospital, Tuamgraney, Co Clare, has urged people to regularly visit loved ones in care to try to ensure their safety.

Ms Melody was wheelchair-bound, she fell out of her chair in an unwitnessed incident at the care home, on July 3, 2021, and died seven days later at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

Ms Melody’s son, Pat Melody, and her daughter, Moira Lenihan, both called on the HSE to ensure doctors are called whenever a person in their care suffers a fall or injury.

They also urged people to make regular checks on their loved ones in care.

“If you have family in care, for God’s sake, go and visit them, because you just don't know what’s going on, after you walk out the door,” said Pat Melody.

Staff said they did not call a doctor after the alleged fall, because they said they did not see any sign of broken bones and they believed Ms Melody’s pain was due to a preexisting osteoarthritis condition, which they were treating with pain medication.

Staff acknowledged Ms Melody was in pain for two days.

She was eventually transferred by ambulance to UHL where scans confirmed fractures to both her femurs.

Staff at UHL flagged their concerns about the “delay” in Ms Melody being presented to the hospital 48 hours after the unwitnessed incident at the care home.

Palliative care was provided at the hospital for the mother of five, who died on July 10.

Last year, the HSE admitted in an out-of-court personal injuries settlement, taken by Ms Lenihan, that it breached its duty to provide residential care and treatment to Ms Melody between July 3, 2021, and July 5, 2021.

Ms Lenihan and Mr Melody urged people “not to forget” about loved ones in care homes hospitals or any other care environments.

“To get the HSE to admit failure in mam’s care, is, I suppose, better than nothing, but we are still searching for answers,” she said.

In statements prepared for Ms Melody’s inquest, held at Limerick Coroner’s Court last year, staff said Ms Melody continued to scream in pain for two days after her alleged fall, particularly when she was being moved.

Staff continued to hoist her out of her bed for showering and to and from her chair.

Staff at the care home said they performed a “full body check” on Ms Melody following her alleged fall. They said they assisted her back into her chair and that she did not complain of pain or appear to have broken bones.

Ms Melody’s son, Seamus Melody, said he visited his mother in the care home shortly after the alleged fall incident. He said he noticed when a staff member tried to lift his mother’s legs back onto the step of the wheelchair “she roared in pain” and sought painkillers.

One of the staff said were following the HSE care home’s policy not to call a doctor as they felt Ms Melody was in a “stable” condition and “in no obvious distress”.

A “narrative” verdict of the events was returned at Ms Melody’s inquest and the Limerick coroner found  the cause of death was in line with the medical evidence that Ms Melody suffered two broken femurs, that she suffered a sudden heart and lung failure, coupled with heart disease, blood clots, and a historic faulty heart valve.

An incident report compiled by a senior nurse commissioned by Ms Lenihan’s solicitors said, in their view, “red flags were missed” by the care home staff after Ms Melody’s alleged fall, and that “the change in her clinical picture within 24 hours was not acted upon”.

The report described Ms Melody’s injuries as being “a seriously significant event”, and that, “the outcome of this fall would have, and unfortunately did, greatly impact her mortality”.

The HSE, which operates Raheen community hospital, was asked a number of questions including if it had learned lessons about how falls are responded to in its care.

“We acknowledge the adverse findings in the HSE review of this case... and it’s a matter of profound regret for HSE Mid-West when there is a shortcoming in the care of our patients. We would like to express our sympathies with Mrs Melody’s relatives on their sad loss."