Feds say Texas failed patient who tried to starve herself to death [View all]
Source: Houston Chronicle
When Brandy Bell was committed to Rusk State Hospital on May 14, there was little doubt she was a complicated patient with a long history of psychiatric problems. But one of her current struggles was painfully obvious.
"She was starving herself," said Bell's mother, Rita. "She wanted to die."
During the Conroe woman's 16 days at the state hospital, Bell virtually stopped eating. She lost 9 pounds in nine days, according to her medical records, grew dehydrated and lost strength. She began using a wheelchair.
On May 30, she died. She was 33.
Officially, Bell's autopsy said she died from blood clots in her lungs. But a subsequent examination of her case by a federal Medicare investigator also concluded the hospital made crucial mistakes by neglecting Bell's self-starvation and providing substandard nursing care.
Bell's case is one of three cases involving state hospital patients with eating disorders being investigated by Disability Rights Texas, a federally funded protection and advocacy group. The other two patients - one is in Austin State Hospital, the other in Big Spring - are still alive.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/health/article/Feds-say-Texas-failed-patient-who-tried-to-starve-4085352.php
= new reply since forum marked as read