Jacqueline was born on 12 October 1964. She was diagnosed with Huntington's Disease in 2008. Jacqueline was living in Specialist Disability Accommodation.
From 26 March 2025, she was admitted to a hospital in Geelong. She was transferred to community palliative care on 24 April 2025. Jacqueline was discharged to her Specialist Disability Accommodation dwelling for end-of-life care on 25 April 2025.
On 25 April 2025, at around 11:05 am, a community nurse visited Jacqueline at her accommodation. Jacqueline was observed to be comfortable but unresponsive. She was treated with a Continuous Subcutaneous Infusion and received buprenorphine patch changes and oxygen therapy for comfort.
On 26 April 2025 at 8:15 am, support workers noted that Jacqueline appeared to have died. A community nurse confirmed her death at 8:37 am. Jacqueline died at age 60. A family member visually identified Jacqueline on 28 April 2025. The medical cause of death was aspiration pneumonia in the setting of advanced Huntington's Disease.
I would be interested to understand what processes are in place to support individuals transitioning from hospital to end-of-life care in Specialist Disability Accommodation. The coroner found Jacqueline's care to be reasonable and appropriate and determined not to hold an inquest.