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	The family of Gerry Feeney (81) criticise his care at an overcrowded Beaumont Hospital</p>
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	The family of an elderly man who died weeks after being discharged from hospital despite suffering from respiratory problems have criticised the care he received after he was left in a &#39;soiled state&#39; in public view.</p>
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	The family of Gerry Feeney, 81, who passed away on January 31, said the former Aer Lingus foreman was left in a soiled state &ldquo;with his nappy down around him&rdquo; after being admitted to Beaumont Hospital.</p>
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	Mr Feeney, from Donnycarney in Dublin, was referred to the hospital&rsquo;s emergency department by Raheny House Nursing Home on December 8, for blood tests, and concerns were subsequently raised about his breathing.</p>
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	He was discharged 24 hours later - by another doctor -&nbsp; but staff at the nursing home were not satisfied with his treatment and referred him back to the emergency department two days later.</p>
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	He was kept in an overflow ward in Accident and Emergency for five days, with his niece Ann Marie Feeney saying this morning that he was treated &quot;very well&quot; within the St Patrick&#39;s Unitl.</p>
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	However, he was then moved to a geriatrics ward when his family feel he should have been admitted to an acute respiratory ward.</p>
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	And they say he was treated without dignity during his stay in this ward - at one stage they found him in a chair in a soiled state, in full public view.</p>
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	&ldquo;He was actually left sitting out in public... The pictures don&rsquo;t depict the sheer horror of what happened&hellip; he had no dignity,&quot; Ms Feeney told RTE&#39;s Morning Ireland this morning.</p>
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	Her uncle, she added, was previously &quot;always well groomed... you could smell the aftershave off him before you would see him&quot; and said he would have been very distressed to be left unwashed and changed.</p>
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	&quot;He begged my aunty Shiela to get him out of there,&quot; she said.</p>
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	&ldquo;He was treated as if he was invisible&hellip; his whole bottom half wasn&rsquo;t covered&hellip; everyone could see the state he was in.&quot;</p>
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	She said the family were told by staff that they were too busy to change Mr Feeney.</p>
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	The former soldier was discharged from Beaumont on January 9, but died at the nursing home from respiratory problems three weeks later.</p>
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	In a statement, Beaumont Hospital said the matters raised by the family were of &ldquo;deep concern&rdquo;.</p>
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	&ldquo;It is not Beaumont&rsquo;s practice to discuss individual cases.</p>
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	&ldquo;We can confirm that the Feeney family has been in touch with the hospital to express serious concern about the care provided by Beaumont and to make a number of specific requests of the hospital.</p>
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	&ldquo;We regret the serious issues and concerns raised by the family. These are of deep concern to the hospital and are being investigated.</p>
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	&ldquo;We are liaising with the Feeney family and will inform them on the outcome of this investigation.&rdquo;</p>
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	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/the-pictures-dont-depict-the-sheer-horror-of-what-happened-gerry-had-no-dignity-in-hospital-31023798.html">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/the-pictures-dont-depict-the-sheer-horror-of-what-happened-gerry-had-no-dignity-in-hospital-31023798.html</a></p>
