interaction between the healthcare worker and Ms Tobin<\/a> was recorded on a mobile phone by another patient, and it occurred prior to Ms Tobin\u2019s unrelated death in August 2025.<\/p>\nHowever, Ms Tobin\u2019s family only became aware of the exchange after video footage of the interaction was shared by a third party on social media, last Monday.<\/p>\n
The HSE said it is appalled at the video footage and has begun an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.<\/p>\n
Ms Tobin\u2019s family suspect the video relates to a date in late May\/early June 2024 when the 83-year-old was an inpatient at UHL for a suspected heart attack.<\/p>\n
Ms Tobin, from Ballynanty, Limerick, had been living with dementia at the time.<\/p>\n
Ms Tobin\u2019s daughter Aisling Hogan said Thursday that she would be seeking answers from Carter as to the circumstances surrounding the exchange between the healthcare worker and her late mother.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been crying a lot today; the last few days have been very upsetting. I will be asking Mr Carter to give us answers to our questions, we as a family want to know what is being done about this,\u201d said Hogan.<\/p>\n
In footage posted on social media, a healthcare worker at the hospital is heard abruptly telling Ms Tobin, \u201cNo\u201d, after she politely asked if she can have a cup of tea.<\/p>\n
The health worker is also heard telling Ms Tobin: \u201cYou are crazy\u201d.<\/p>\n
When Ms Tobin asks the health worker what food is on the table in front of her hospital bed, the health worker told her \u201cyou can see, so why are you asking\u201d.<\/p>\n
The mobile phone video footage was recorded by another patient who was on the same ward as Ms Tobin at the time.<\/p>\n
Ms Tobin\u2019s family said they are \u201ctraumatised\u201d by the video, and they have sought answers from the HSE, the Minister for Health and the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).<\/p>\n
Ms Tobin\u2019s daughter, who does not know who recorded the video, said she was \u201cshocked\u201d when it was sent to her last Monday by a relative.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want answers, I wouldn\u2019t wish this on anyone. We are devastated and heartbroken,\u201d Hogan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am numb from it (the video), my mother\u2019s anniversary was only the day before this video surfaced. My brain is going wild.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am sick to my stomach that someone could treat another person like that. With dementia, you are losing the person twice, because in the long run you have lost them before they die.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am so angry. It\u2019s so maddening, and heartbreaking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s disgusting, it\u2019s vile, how can anyone that is supposed to be a healthcare assistant treat somebody like that \u2013 it is inhumane,\u201d added Hogan.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother didn\u2019t ask for dementia. She was a very intelligent woman and she did a lot of her community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paying tribute to her mother, she said: \u201cMam was just an auld dote. She had a heart of gold and that she would do anything for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
HSE Mid West said: \u201cHSE Mid West is aware of a video circulating on social media which shows an interaction between a healthcare worker and a patient\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe footage is deeply concerning, and the behaviour depicted is wholly unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt falls far short of the standards of dignity, respect, and compassionate care that all patients are entitled to expect.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWork is underway to identity the service involved, as the specific location, date and full circumstances surrounding the incident have not yet been verified.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHSE Mid West is actively working to establish the facts. HSE Mid West takes all concerns regarding patient care and patient safety extremely seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce the relevant service has been identified the matter will be reviewed in accordance with the HE\u2019s patient safety and incident management framework.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs enquiries are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hogan said the health worker who appears in the video interacting with her late mum must be \u201cheld responsible\u201d for their behaviour.<\/p>\n
The Hogan family wrote to the health minister and received a response. It has also contacted the HIQA to investigate the matter.<\/p>\n
The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carrol MacNeill, through her private secretary, extended her \u201csincere condolences\u201d to Ms Tobin\u2019s family on their \u201closs\u201d, in correspondence seen by this reporter.<\/p>\n
MacNeill said in the email received by the family on Wednesday: \u201cI also recognise the distress and hurt that you have described arising from the recent circulation of footage relating to her care.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can appreciate how upsetting it must have been to become aware of this material, particularly as it emerged around the anniversary of (her) passing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis must have been an especially difficult experience for you and your family, and I recognise the emotional impact that these circumstances have had,\u201d said MacNeill.<\/p>\n
The minister said the \u201cresponsibility\u201d for delivering care and management of the health service rests with the HSE and \u201cI understand that HSE Mid West is examining this matter and seeking to establish all of the relevant facts\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile it would not be appropriate to comment on the specific circumstances of the case while that process is ongoing, I want to assure you that concerns regarding the care, dignity and respect afforded to patients are treated with the utmost seriousness,\u201d added the minister.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MANAGEMENT AT UNIVERSITY Hospital Limerick (UHL) is to meet with the family of a dementia patient who was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":660042,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[40],"tags":[9,10,868,18,13,14,6,474,60,19,17,11,12,1844,15,16,5,12024,7,8,7586],"class_list":["post-660041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-breaking-news","tag-breakingnews","tag-dementia","tag-eire","tag-featured-news","tag-featurednews","tag-headlines","tag-healthcare","tag-hse","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-latest-news","tag-latestnews","tag-limerick","tag-main-news","tag-mainnews","tag-news","tag-patient-care","tag-top-stories","tag-topstories","tag-university-hospital-limerick"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117170012419634645","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=660041"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660041\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/660042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=660041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=660041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=660041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}