Ashbourne man leaves hospital five weeks after being declared fit for discharge

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ANN CASEY

An Ashbourne man, who appealed in this week's Meath Chronicle for a homecare package, so he could be discharged from hospital, is preparing to leave the Mater Hospital in Dublin nearly five weeks after he was declared fit to be discharged.

John King spent nearly five weeks "blocking" an acute hospital bed, because he couldn't get a home care package, but has now been told the package is in place and he can go home.

John was furious that he had become a "bed blocker" for the sake of the two hours a day homecare that the doctors had recommended.

“It is absolutely ridiculous that I have been blocking this bed, when there is such a crisis in acute hospitals,” he said earlier this week.

“I am very angry. I’m bored out of my skull. They are looking after me very well here, but I’d rather be at home.

“It is absolutely disgraceful that I have become a bed blocker. I’m medically fit to go home, but they won’t discharge me. You hear about this all the time, but I never imagined I would be in this position. This bed is very badly needed. I’m in an acute hospital taking up a much needed bed despite being fit to go home,” he said.

 

John King's home care package got the go-ahead after his story appeared in this weeks''s Meath Chronicle

John, who has been a political activist all his life was admitted to the Mater Hospital on 18th December last with a clot on his lung and a serious chest infection.
“On 15th January, I was told I was medically cured and ready to be discharged.

“The only thing was, they wanted me to have a homecare package of two hours per day.”

“I live on my own, as my wife is in a nursing home and they wouldn't discharge me until I have homecare.

“All they wanted for me is two hours help a day, but the HSE were not doing anything to provide it.  

“In the meantime, I’ was here almost five weeks blocking a badly needed bed in an acute hospital.”

John is a well known and active member of the Ashbourne Community and has been involved in politics for many years. He was a candidate on a number of occasions, most recently in the local elections in 2014, and he had recently been involved with the Social Democrats. John was active in the Ashbourne anti water charges group in the 1990s.