Coroner's Finding: FORT Merilyn Jane
Deceased
Merilyn Jane Fort
Demographics
62y, female
Date of death
2016-12-01
Finding date
2020-05-08
Cause of death
general inanition on a background of end-stage dementia
AI-generated summary
Merilyn Jane Fort, aged 62, died from general inanition on a background of end-stage Alzheimer's dementia whilst subject to a Mental Health Act Inpatient Treatment Order. She presented with severe behavioural disturbance, agitation, and refusal of oral intake. Her care at both Flinders Medical Centre and Repatriation General Hospital was found to be appropriate and lawful. Palliative care with opioids and sedatives was appropriately commenced following a family meeting to manage her pain and anxiety. The coroner found no deficiencies in care. Clinicians should note the importance of timely psychiatric assessment in dementia patients with acute behavioural deterioration, appropriate use of mental health legislation when necessary to facilitate treatment, and holistic palliative approaches in end-stage dementia.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Clinical conditions
Procedures
Contributing factors
- Alzheimer's dementia with behavioural disturbance
- refusal of oral intake
- agitation and distress
- cerebral atrophy
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