Review finds failures by authorities led to man’s death in Gloucestershire
Safeguarding review says refusals of help from his brother went unchallenged
A disabled man from South Gloucestershire died after health and social care services failed to challenge repeated refusals of help from his brother, who was his main carer, a safeguarding review has found.
The man, Aidan, was 61 and had complex needs.
A safeguarding adults review found he died at Southmead Hospital from a ruptured windpipe and acute kidney disease.
The review said there had been concerns about his care at home for many years, and barriers to his access to health and social care.
It also found his voice was not consistently sought or represented.
What the review found
The report said: 'Aidan's brother adult A was deeply committed but increasingly isolated and resistant to professional involvement.'
It also said: 'Professionals respected the family's role but did not sufficiently challenge or assess the sustainability and safety of care.'
The report said: 'Aidan missed out on key wellbeing outcomes and missed medical interventions due to unchallenged refusals by Aidan's brother.'
It said a younger brother, adult B, had moved away from home but played some part in caring for Aidan.
The review said adult A declined the offer of a carer's assessment and other resources, including respite and community meals.
The report said: 'Although the offer of a carer's assessment and other resources (eg, respite and community meals) was declined by adult A, this should have triggered concerns about the wellbeing of adult A as the main carer and the long-term sustainability of the increasingly fragile situation.'
Concerns over Aidan's care
The report said most of the therapists could only visit Aidan at the day centre because they could not gain access to his home.
It said: 'There was evidence of unopened boxes of nutritional supplements at home.'
The report also said day centre staff were frustrated that their safeguarding concerns were not listened to.
It said: 'As Aidan's physical health condition continued to decline, the multi-agency group should have robustly applied the best interests framework and concluded that compromised arrangements were not in his best interests.'
The report said: 'There was a lack of an overall multi-agency strategy for managing and overseeing the repeated safeguarding concerns which were raised and closed.'
It added: 'What was missing was a clear lead on decision making and coordinated joint working in an increasingly complex situation.'
The review praised staff at the hospital, the day care centre and consultants.
However, it said better oversight between authorities was needed because of the brothers' resistance to help and the lack of challenge.