Disabled Woman Dies at Camp After Given Wrong Medication
The Wisconsin camp, Trade Lake, from which Keith T. Kennedy went missing from in June, now faces closure after 49-year-old Shirley Meade died there after being given the wrong drug, Clozapine. Yesterday’s TwinCities.com describes Meade as “severely mentally challenged” and a ward of the state of Minnesota, as her parents are deceased. Peggy Hjelseth, the camp founder’s daughter, gave Meade the incorrect medication:
When Hjelseth was interviewed by investigators afterward, she said: “I screwed up.”
Hjelseth realized her mistake within 30 minutes of administering the drug, [Burnett County Sheriff Dean] Roland said. Hjelseth told investigators she did not seek medical assistance and chose to have Meade “sleep it off.”
Meade slept most of the day and fell at one point. The injuries from the fall were not reported to medical personnel, the sheriff said.
Meade’s condition continued to deteriorate throughout the day until she was found dead by staff about 12:30 a.m. Camp workers called the sheriff’s office right away, Roland said.
Hjelseth faces charges of first-degree reckless homicide.
Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, camp, disabilities blog, disability, doctor, Family, family blog, Health, keith t kennedy, minnesota, Parenting, pdd-nos, wisconsinRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Safety
21 opinions for Disabled Woman Dies at Camp After Given Wrong Medication
Regan
Sep 4, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Poor Shirley Meade.
Screwed up? Screwing up is the accidental administration–which can happen.
Reckless homicide is not calling for medical assistance when the mistake is realized and waiting 16 hours, through several falls and injuries and “deterioration” until the person is dead.
Regan
Sep 4, 2008 at 1:09 pm
My apologies…a little steamed. One fall with injuries. The rest stands.
Randall J. Currie
Sep 4, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Sometimes I wonder. We cannot choose how we are to die, but I’d rather have a choice in whether or not I choose to face it with dignity. I don’t think Shirley Meade, or anyone else, deserves an ending like that. I assume reckless homicide in that state is the equivalent of negligent homicide here in MA. If that is so, the charge against Hjelseth fits well.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Sep 4, 2008 at 5:27 pm
If Hjelseth had at least acknowledged immediately what had happened and sought medical help for Meade…..
Bonnie
Sep 4, 2008 at 5:34 pm
This is such a sad story, and what really irks me is the total disregard for this woman had for this mentally challenged person. What was she thinking? It didn’t matter since this lady was disabled anyway, and how many other times had things like that happened that she had lived through?!
David N. Andrews M. Ed. (Distinction)
Sep 4, 2008 at 6:01 pm
*can’t think what to say*
David N. Andrews M. Ed. (Distinction)
Sep 4, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Fuck it.
Close the place down.
Being left on the street seems a more hospitable outcome than being ‘given the wrong drug’ and left to die it off!
Oh, and lock up the stupid cow who let that happen!
Club 166
Sep 4, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Drug swaps happen all the time. 20 years ago there were only about 1200 or so common drugs on the market. Nowadays it’s more like 12,000-many of them that look similar and have sound alike names. Like Regan, I understand that a mistake in administration happened.
But what followed was unconscionable. The first responsibility is to the person harmed. And nothing was done at all but to ignore obvious signs that harm had occurred, and try to cover the whole thing up.
Joe
Regan
Sep 4, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Some more details
July 30, 2008
Trade Lake Camp closed for season
Looks like the camp had its license suspended during the investigation.
A weird comment in the story on why medical assistance was not sought–
“…As to the comment by the sheriff that camp staff did not react to her [Meade’s] medical condition, Denn [camp employee] said the camp did not have a signed medical release to have her seen by a doctor.”
If that was so necessary to ability to obtain medical treatment, then how could they responsibly allow the campers, esp. with significant disabilities and medical conditions, to attend without one?? What were they relying on–their lucky stars?
Even without such a document on file, who just shrugs this kind of thing off or fails to contact a responsible party? Hypothesize a different kind of medical emergency, such as a broken bone, head injury or other type of accidental poisoning…”Sorry, you don’t have a signed release”. Even the original claim put forth–that Ms. Meade had pneumonia, and died of that, doesn’t wash with not seeking medical assistance. As Bonnie said, if Ms. Meade had not died from this mistake, would anyone have found out at all? Seems doubtful.
On a related, but much better note,
Keith Kennedy is doing well and is almost fully recovered.
Regan
Sep 4, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Sorry Kristina. I posted but messed up the links–badly. If you could delete it, I would appreciate it.
Regan
Sep 4, 2008 at 7:19 pm
(Try that again with the close link.) :-/
Some more details
July 30, 2008
Trade Lake Camp closed for season
Looks like the camp had its license suspended during the investigation.
A weird comment in the story on why medical assistance was not sought–
“…As to the comment by the sheriff that camp staff did not react to her [Meade’s] medical condition, Denn [camp employee] said the camp did not have a signed medical release to have her seen by a doctor.”
If that was so necessary to ability to obtain medical treatment, then how could they responsibly allow the campers, esp. with significant disabilities and medical conditions, to attend without one?? What were they relying on–their lucky stars?
Even without such a document on file, who just shrugs this kind of thing off or fails to contact a responsible party? Hypothesize a different kind of medical emergency, such as a broken bone, head injury or other type of accidental poisoning…”Sorry, you don’t have a signed release”. Even the original claim put forth–that Ms. Meade had pneumonia, and died of that, doesn’t wash with not seeking medical assistance. As Bonnie said, if Ms. Meade had not died from this mistake, would anyone have found out at all? Seems doubtful, and it really kind of unnerves me–I hope that this doesn’t represent common practice.
On a related, but much better note,
Keith Kennedy is doing well and is almost fully recovered.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Sep 5, 2008 at 1:57 am
@Regan, sorry was not able to respond till now—-sadly, this story makes me once again very dubious about sleepaway camp for Charlie; he does take medication and what if someone gave him the wrong ones?
mayfly
Sep 5, 2008 at 2:30 am
I wouldn’t let this incident scare you from sending Charlie to a “sleepaway” camp.
There are many which provide wonderful times for our children.
It seems Hjelseth was more worried about bring reprimanded for her mistake than the life of Ms. Meade.
I doubt Ms Meade’s mental abilities had anything to do with it.
Regan
Sep 5, 2008 at 3:19 am
I doubt Ms Meade’s mental abilities had anything to do with it.
I disagree. I have read too many narratives about people with cognitive disabilities in institutional or organized settings being ignored or discounted when suffering from critical illnesses to buy that. Some of the stories are quite heartbreaking and cautionary.
I agree that there are probably many camps that provide wonderful experiences. Trade Lake Camp does not seem to have been one of those.
Jen
Sep 5, 2008 at 5:46 am
Kristina- Most camps have very highly-trained people administering medication to children with lots of double-checking and safeguards in place. If nothing else, no camp can afford to be insured without those procedures.
Unfortunately medication errors happen everywhere- they certainly happen in doctors’ offices and in schools and hospitals. The difference here seems to be that the woman DIDN”T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I’m glad that she’s being charged with homicide.
Owl
Sep 5, 2008 at 11:50 am
I also disagree that disability had nothing to do with it. Someone who isn’t disabled being put into that situation could self advocate against a mistake like that and be able to better monitor the drugs they were being administered. Lets say I go a hospital and they put an IV in my arm and then suddenly say “oops” and start acting kind of nervous I can pressure them to tell me whats going on till they answer and I demand treatment. If I can’t self advocate, the hapless nurse doesn’t have to face ANYONE regarding their mistake including me if they don’t want to. The kind of person who if left to their own devices will ignore their mistakes and keep others from finding out about them are have a lot more safeguards on them if the people they are treating are able to self advocate and question their performance.
Bonnie Sayers
Sep 5, 2008 at 12:08 pm
This is so sad. I would not send either of my kids to a sleep away camp, just not comfortable with it, even for the HFA kid, since he is 13 too many dangers lurking.
mayfly
Sep 6, 2008 at 1:14 am
I don’t view Hjelseth as a person who de-valued those for whom she provided services.
I suspect all camp staff had been told of the tenuous position past wrongs had placed the camp, and any further problems would force closure.
Then Hjelseth gives Ms Meade the wrong medication. Perhaps the death knell for the camp founded by her father was tolling in her head. She decides not to report it while praying, imploring, beseeching God that Ms Meade pulls through.
Ms Meade did not and now, aided by hindsight, Hjelseth probably cannot believe she made a decision/ decision which based on what’s known at this time cost Ms Meade her life.
But the motive in this case has no bearing Hjelseth appears to have been grossly negligent. The charge of wreckless homicide seems appropriate.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Sep 6, 2008 at 11:52 am
I think it’s how Hjelseth responded (out of panic and fear..) that troubles me most. It was a terrible mistake (that’s an understatement) but acknowledgeing it could have made a difference.
Have been thinking about DAY camp with an aide for Charlie next summer but with his meds and other needs, sleepaway camp may not be good (for my nerves, at least).
Regan
Sep 6, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Have been thinking about DAY camp with an aide for Charlie next summer but with his meds and other needs, sleepaway camp may not be good (for my nerves, at least).
Day camps often have multiple sessions, and at least around here, sometimes a “sleepaway” day is offered. That might be a way to put a toe in the water and see how it goes.
Navidad
Sep 8, 2008 at 9:33 pm
re: whether or not mental abilities had to do with it.
They did.
Since I can’t tell what’s wrong w/ tristan, and he can’t tell me, I take him to the dr frequently, unless the symptoms are typical (like his seasonal allergies). He went to urgent care after puking in the car, because he’d also had bloody noses, even though I had scheduled an appt. Turns out it was just a sinus infection, but I preferred safe over sorry.
In this case, it seems that this woman couldn’t say how she felt, so they did nothing, instead of taking precautions.
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