AIBU to ask for a death investigation 10 years later

[Zebralele]

My father was in a care home for bridging care while his house was being modified. He was only 64 and while he had some health conditions nothing was life threatening. He died of sepsis whilst still in the care home. I saw him the day of his death and he was unwell, we believed he had a bad cold/virus. Later that day he was admitted to hospital and died.

I never sought an investigation as it didn't really occur to me, I trusted the professionals and the hospital didn't raise any concerns. It's only years later that I know more about sepsis I am suspicious his care was inadequate and his death was preventable.

I wondered if I can ask for details and find out how this happened, if there is anything the care home did wrong that I would be able to find out, and if there are any changes they should be making for safety of others?

I've no idea how to even go about this if it is possible, does anybody have experience?

Thanks so much

Gently. I wouldn’t. Paperwork from 10 years ago, god forbid getting his body back and quite honestly I don’t think it’s even allowed after such a long time.

Even if the care home still exists and the paperwork exists, the staff are unlikely to be the same and crucially protocols and practices will have changed too, including higher awareness of sepsis

I don't think there is anything you can do. I feel the same about my mother. 15 years ago She broke her wrist in a fall at home, went to hospital to have it reset, apparently had a reaction to the anaesthetic, all her organs shut down and she died without regaining consciousness. At the time I was in shock and also in the middle of an extremely abusive marriage. I didn't question anything but I wish I had now.

Sepsis can be really quick. It is entirely realistic for the timeframe you've described. If you saw him earlier that day and thought it was just a bad cold, then the care home were reasonable to think the same, until he got worse at which point they got him to hospital. Sepsis is awful. I can completely empathise with you wanting to do this, but no good will come of it.

I am very sorry for your loss. My DF very nearly died of sepsis at a similar age; the GP also thought it was a viral infection, but luckily my DM was keeping a very close eye on him and got him to hospital just in time.

He was in ICU for weeks, we nearly lost him several times, and he emerged from hospital months later permanently disabled. The staff caring for him seemed genuinely amazed that he survived, and was eventually able to regain a little independence. I don't think my mother even got an apology from the GP who misdiagnosed him.

What I am trying to say here is that sepsis is very easy to miss and progresses very fast. It regularly kills people even if they are seen by doctors and even if they are hospitalised.

I think it is highly unlikely anyone would agree to an investigation at this stage, and I can't imagine what benefit it would really have to you or to anyone else. Acceptance is hard, but torturing yourself with what-ifs and investigations will only make it harder.

Sepsis can happen to the healthiest of people and is notorious for being missed.

Sepsis can be scarily fast, my little boy went from poorly-but-not-really-sick to sepsis in the blink of an eye.

💐 please don't go down this route. It's unlikely after all that time that you will get honest answers.
Sepsis is a quick, silent killer hence the heightened awareness nowadays.

Sometimes we just have to put the What If to bed for our own sanity.

All of the recent-ish awareness campaigns about sepsis I think were designed to help prevent situations like this, because there was a period of time where sepsis was under diagnosed and missed until it was too late. Practices have moved on significantly since then, and sadly there is a chance the same thing wouldn’t have happened now - but an investigation isn’t going to help that as learnings have already been learned.

What would you want to achieve from an investigation?

OP, are the poster from ?Australia? and you have a sister? Your situation seems familiar to a post from a couple of years ago.

Have you and @Dartmoorcheffy spoken to anyone for a ‘debriefing’? A bit like a newish mother can go over the birth with someone who can explain what happened, and sort of translate the medical stuff into plain language? I don’t even know if such a thing is possible after so long, but it might be worth a try to put your minds to rest?

I would also ask what you want to achieve? My own Dad died from sepsis 2 years ago and being a nurse myself and after an investigation by the patient safety team neglect contributed to his death. It took me 3 months to be able to open the report - it is so painful to read. I would think very carefully 😔

I don't think this is the poster your thinking off - the Australian one had already requested an investigation several times (and spoke to lawyers who had told her it wasn't what she was making it)

Ahh okay, thanks. It was a bit of a vague memory tbh!

I speak as someone who contracted meningitis and septicemia, the timeframe you say is realistic with regards to Sepsis. Caught quickly, it can be treated, but people can die within hours if it isn't. 10 years is a very long time. You are relying on paperwork having been kept and staff still being employed at the care home. Procedures and processes may have changed, within those 10 years too. I would let it go.

Thank you everybody for your responses. It's actually been fairly healing just having it highlighted that this can happen so fast and be missed without that meaning sub-standard care. I've been carrying a lot of guilt over the last couple of years thinking I failed to advocate for him properly at the time
And to those that pointed out that sepsis awareness has increased over the years, I had failed to recognise that point, so thank you again for the new perspective.
I'm actually amazed how strangely comforting this thread has been, am very appreciative. My deep sympathies to those with similar experiences.