Partner of Quebec man who received MAID after bedsores says hospital ignored her
All that changed after Meunier was left on a stretcher at a hospital north of Montreal for 96 hours and developed a severe pressure sore that never healed, Brosseau said Thursday outside the Montreal courtroom where a coroner is holding hearings into Meunier's death.
Meunier, who was 66, requested medical assistance in dying two months after developing the sore and died March 29, 2024.
"Despite his quadriplegia, he still had plans he wished to realize, he had lofty goals," Brosseau said. "But because of the incurable bedsore that appeared at the hospital, he had no more perspective on life."
Brosseau says she repeatedly asked hospital staff to give Meunier a special therapeutic mattress that prevents sores, but she says she felt ignored.
"They cared very little about me," she said prior to her testimony at the coroner's inquest.
She brought photos of the couple's life together, including one showing Meunier grinning broadly while surrounded by grandchildren. She said she wanted people to remember that side of him, and not only for graphic photos of the gaping wound on his buttock that one nurse would describe as the biggest she'd ever seen.
Coroner Dave Kimpton is presiding over the investigation into Meunier's death. The inquest, which began May 5, is also hearing from police, medical personnel, and experts who will offer recommendations.
In her testimony Thursday afternoon, Brosseau said bedsores were 'always a worry' because Meunier had developed them during previous hospital stays.
She testified that her partner had been taken to St-Jérôme hospital on Jan. 18, 2024, with respiratory issues. She said she had told the medical staff that he was prone to sores and advised them of the equipment he needed, including a therapeutic mattress.
However, she said Meunier remained on a stretcher for four days before he was taken to intensive care. After a two-day stay in intensive care, he was transferred to another unit on Jan. 26, where Brosseau said the proper equipment again wasn't provided.
When she questioned one of his doctors about a mattress, she was told, "you are lucky, I saved his life," she testified. He told her that securing a therapeutic mattress would be handled by others.
"For him, it was part of the decor," she said of the mattress.
Meunier was let out of hospital on Jan. 29. The next day, the medical staff who came to treat him at home saw the sore and was shocked, she said.
Brosseau became tearful when she described seeing the wound on Feb. 5, after her husband's caretakers convinced the family Meunier needed to return to hospital.
"I never saw something like that," she said. "It's unimaginable.'
Brosseau said that throughout her husband's multiple hospital stays, she continually had to fight for him to get the supplies he needed, including mattresses, sheets and bandages adapted to his needs. Meunier requested medical assistance in dying in early March, after his condition had continued to decline.
He died on March 29, surrounded by family and with his chosen music playing. "He left how he wanted," she said.
At the conclusion of her testimony, Kimpton told Brosseau he was "shaken" by her testimony, and praised her dedication to her partner. "He was lucky to have a warrior at his side," the coroner told her.
Brosseau's lawyer, Patrick Martin-Ménard, said outside the courtroom that Meunier's story shows that bedsores, and the care of those susceptible to them, remain a "blind spot" in the health system.
"What we saw throughout this inquest is that throughout Mr. Meunier's stay, there was very little awareness on the part of the professionals who should have been trained to be able to monitor this situation," he said.
Martin-Ménard said the testimony from hospital staff showed "little introspection" or willingness to take responsibility for what happened to Meunier. He said he hoped the inquest results in a stronger system that will proactively identify and address the needs of people at risk of bedsores at every step of their journey through the health network.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025.
Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Serena Williams reveals she uses GLP-1 weight loss drug Zepbound: 'I just could never get back to where I needed to be'
The tennis champion said she wants to be transparent, and also to counter the idea that it's an easy way out. Serena Williams is opening up about her fitness journey, revealing that she uses the injectable GLP-1 weight loss drug Zepbound, combined with consistent exercise and a healthy diet. The 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion, 43, told Today that she wants to be transparent about her weight loss, while also countering the negative perception of a GLP-1 treatment that it's a lazy way to lose weight. GLP-1 is short for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, and it's a type of medication that's usually prescribed for diabetes, but is also used for weight management. The medication works in the brain to affect appetite and satiety. 'I had never taken shortcuts in my career and always worked really hard. I know what it takes to be the best,' Williams told People this week. 'So it was very frustrating to do all the same things and never be able to change that number on the scale or the way my body looked.' The Olympic gold medalist told Today that after having her two daughters, Olympia in 2017 and Adira in 2023, 'I was never able to be at a healthy weight that I could be at, whether it was my joints or blood sugar levels, it was just always something that I suffered with.' The tennis star said no matter what she did, she always felt like her body was missing something. 'I'm playing professional tennis, I'm literally training five hours a day, and I would always work my way to one point on the scale, and it would never go below that,' she explained. When GLP-1's first became available, Williams said to herself: 'No way, no how, that's not for me.' But then her mindset changed, and she looked at weight loss as an opponent, just like in professional tennis. 'I can't beat this opponent, no matter what I do; I have to try something different. Tried something different, it didn't work,' she recalled on the Today show. 'I saw my friends using [GLP-1's], saw a lot of people on it, and I tried it, and it actually worked.' She told People that she has lost over 31 pounds since she used Zepbound for additional weight loss support. Williams obtained the medication through Ro, which is a direct-to-patient health care company. She is now a celebrity patient ambassador for the company. Williams's husband, Alexis Ohanian, also serves on its board and is an investor in the company. 'They were super supportive, and it was easy to get the medication,' Williams told People. While GLP-1 treatments have been approved by the FDA for weight management, and not just for diabetics, there are still some hurdles people have to overcome, like meeting certain BMI requirements, finding a licensed provider, or covering expensive out-of-pocket costs for the treatment if their insurance provider doesn't cover weight loss treatments. 'GLP-1 helped me enhance everything that I was already doing — eating healthy and working out, whether it was as a professional athlete at the top level of tennis or just going to the gym every day,' she says. 'So I think that it's important for everyone to hear my story. And I feel like there's a lot of people that can relate.' With her two daughters, Williams prioritizes conversations about body image and body positivity. 'With me going through what I've went through growing up in public and just having millions of people commenting on my body, it's really important to teach them to be confident at any size, just like I try to be,' she told People. For now, Williams is taking the weekly GLP-1 injections and trains for a half-marathon (13.1 miles). She also continues to post selfies from the gym, her 'favorite place to be.' Solve the daily Crossword
Medscape
7 minutes ago
- Medscape
New Blood Pressure Guidelines: My Likes and Concerns
The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, along with numerous other professional societies, have released new guidance on hypertension. The 105-page document updates guidance from 2017. Here are a few highly selected likes and worries. Things I Like Accurate measurement of blood pressure. The authors place great emphasis on the accurate measurement of blood pressure (BP). This includes a picture of a patient who is sitting, feet on the floor and arm resting on a table. Adjacent to the picture is an 8-point list of how to take a BP. It boggles my mind how badly BP is taken in the healthcare setting. I don't think I've ever witnessed it done properly — not once, in 30 years of practice. I am not sure how the culture evolved not to care about accurate BP measurement. We have time-outs, sepsis protocols, and quality measures for numerous conditions, and yet, something as simple as accurate recording of a vital sign is virtually ignored. Mediocrity has been codified as standard when it comes to measuring BP. A healthcare system could improve its quality overnight if it made accurate BP recording a point of emphasis. Good on the authors. Home-based BP monitoring. A corollary of accurate BP measure is the class 1/evidence level A recommendation to supplement office BP measures with home-based monitoring. While this makes sense, it's actually supported by multiple RCTs which, taken together, show that home monitoring of BP plus lifestyle interventions leads to clinically significant BP reduction that persists for at least 12 months. The authors emphasize that cuffless technology options that are often embedded in wearable devices are not reliable enough for clinical use. One caveat the authors did not mention, but which I find important, is practical guidance on use of home BP devices. I have seen people who spend far too much of their life recording and pondering their BP. Patients need clear education regarding the natural fluctuations of BP, and that the goal is to reduce average BP over days to weeks. We want patients to have good BP and good lives. More often than not, I find myself telling patients to use their home BP cuff less, not more. Single-pill combination drugs. My view of single-pill combination drugs has changed. I used to be against combining agents in a single pill because it can be hard to change course. The guidelines give a class 1 recommendation for using combination pills for patients with stage 2 hypertension (systolic BP ≥ 140 mm Hg and diastolic BP ≥ 90 mm Hg). I like this call on both efficacy (it probably will take multiple drugs) and efficiency grounds; having only one pill and one prescription to fill and refill is important. Renal denervation caution is warranted. Renal denervation (RDN) is on the precipice of becoming cardiology's biggest blemish — even worse than left atrial appendage occlusion. Doctors and hospitals are coiled and ready to deploy this procedure to the millions with high BP. The only thing maintaining sanity is the reluctance of payers — thankfully. Here is a quote from the guideline document: While some trials showed a small but significant reduction in 24-hour ambulatory SBP by 3 to 5 mm Hg over the sham arm, others failed to reach their primary endpoint. Although broader indications are approved for the RDN devices by the FDA, given the relatively short duration of follow-up in clinical trials with modest BP-lowering effects and the absence of CVD outcome trials, RDN should not be considered as a curative therapy for hypertension or full replacement for antihypertensive drugs. I would have been stronger, but this is decent. The problem comes in that RDN makes the colored recommendation box, albeit with the lowest 2b level. I call this a problem because procedure-loving doctors only need it to be recommended. The level of recommendation does not matter in the real world of US medicine. I reiterate: RDN trials found either no significant or clinically small reductions in systolic BP. There are no sham-controlled efficacy data beyond a few months and not even a hint of clinical outcome data. A middle-aged person does not require BP control for 3 months; they need it for 3 decades. RDN was a nice idea, but before a single dollar is paid to a doctor or hospital for this procedure, we should have far more persuasive evidence. I would have left it out of the colored box of recommendations. Two Things I Worry About Summary statements and colored boxes. The document begins with take-home messages. I take from this that the writers think clinicians are not capable of reading the document. These efforts to dumb down medicine, which are not specific to hypertension guidelines, worry me greatly. Hypertension is one of the most common and modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular health. Clinicians should be encouraged and expected to read the details of the document — including the references. Few things could be more important in the prevention of cardiovascular disease than extreme knowledge of hypertension. I feel the same way about the colored boxes of recommendations, which attempt to simplify what is complex. I believe it best to provide the narrative review and references — with a table, perhaps — but jettison the summary boxes, because the vast majority of patients do not fit into such algorithms. Risk-based recommendations use the new PREVENT risk score. A major feature of this guideline is to base treatment not only on BP measures but also on overall cardiovascular risk. For instance, for patients with stage 1 hypertension and a 10-year PREVENT risk score of < 7.5%, the recommendation is for lifestyle interventions only. Risk-based intervention is a decent idea; my worry here is the use of the new PREVENT score. PREVENT is a new AHA initiative; it replaces the pooled cohort equation (PCE). Proponents of the score cite its many advantages. These include broader outcomes, such as heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, as well as atherosclerotic events. PREVENT is also derived from more diverse and contemporary data that include kidney function and social determinants of health. These factors are believed to lead to improved calibration between expected and observed event rates. The provocative feature of PREVENT in the statin decision was that more accurate calibration — with less risk overestimation — led to fewer patients being labeled statin eligible. Similar concerns arise in the hypertension guideline. Will use of PREVENT lead to undertreatment? Another highly provocative feature of PREVENT is that it does not include race as a determinant of risk. While this may satisfy equity concerns, some cite strong associations of race and risk in hypertension — and not considering race may lead to undertreatment of vulnerable people. I am neither a statistician nor an epidemiologist, but decreeing a new risk score that could affect so many patients, and the most important modifiable cardiovascular risk factor, seems like a major risk. The authors give this a class 1/evidence level B rating, but I find no trials comparing PREVENT and PCE as risk modifiers. I am not saying it is wrong to use PREVENT; rather, I am saying that even a little undertreatment of BP could be a public health disaster. Let me know what you think in the comments section.
Associated Press
8 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Sterling VA Dentist Dr. E. Richard Hughes Promotes Healthy Youth Smiles on International Youth Day with Oral Health Tips
Celebrating International Youth Day, Sterling dentist shares brushing tips to help children build strong habits for lifelong oral health. STERLING, VA, UNITED STATES, August 21, 2025 / / -- E. Richard Hughes, DDS, a highly respected Sterling, VA dentist, marked International Youth Day by encouraging families to focus on children's oral health. Dr. Hughes shared practical brushing tips for parents to help kids develop habits that support healthy, confident smiles for life. Dr. Edward Hughes suggests parents use fun and interactive methods to help children embrace dental care: 1) Brush together as a family so kids learn by example. 2) Play music or set a timer for two minutes to make brushing enjoyable. 3) Turn brushing into a game or story to keep younger children engaged. 4) Use colorful toothbrushes or brushing apps to add excitement. 5) Reward consistency with praise or small incentives to build positive reinforcement. For infants, Dr. Hughes advises starting oral care early: A) Gently clean gums with a soft cloth after feeding, even before teeth appear. B) Introduce a baby toothbrush once the first tooth erupts, using a rice-grain–sized smear of fluoride toothpaste. C) Avoid letting infants fall asleep with bottles containing milk or juice to prevent early tooth decay. D) Schedule a child's first dental visit by age one to set the stage for lifelong oral health. 'As we celebrate International Youth Day, we want to highlight the importance of starting dental care early,' said Dr. Hughes. 'Healthy habits formed in childhood build the foundation for lifelong smiles and confidence.' He also encouraged young parents to take an active role in building these habits early, reminding them that the foundation for a healthy smile begins at home. Dr. Hughes' Sterling-based dental practice is recognized for advanced implant dentistry and preventive care. In addition to offering world-class dental implant treatments, his office actively promotes community education on oral health, reflecting a commitment to both current patients and future generations. About Dr. E. Richard Hughes, DDS Dr. Hughes is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry, a Fellow of multiple dental academies, and has over 47 years of dental experience. Based in Sterling, VA, his practice combines advanced implant dentistry with preventive education to promote lifelong oral health. Media Contact: E. Richard Hughes, DDS 46440 Benedict Dr Ste 201 Sterling VA 20164 703-444-1152 Dr. Edward Hughes E. Richard Hughes, DDS +1 703-444-1152 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube Other Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
