Quebec coroner makes recommendations after man sought MAID following hospital-acquired bedsores
Posted November 25, 2025 1:09 pm.
Last Updated November 25, 2025 1:11 pm.
The story of Normand Meunier, who requested medical assistance in dying (MAID) after developing severe infected bedsores following a hospital stay, caused public outrage.
On Tuesday, Quebec’s coroner’s office released its public inquiry report.
Meunier, who was quadriplegic, requested MAID at the age of 66, two months after developing a severe bedsore that formed after spending four days on a stretcher in the emergency room at Saint-Jérôme Hospital.
During public hearings last spring, his partner Sylvie Brosseau, stated that she had repeatedly asked staff for a mattress adapted to his condition, which she did not receive until Meunier’s condition deteriorated to the point where he had to be transferred to intensive care.
An inquiry is underway into the death of Normand Meunier, a quadriplegic man who opted for medical assistance in dying after developing severe bedsores.
Meunier’s request for medical assistance in dying was granted, and he died on March 29, 2024.
In his investigation report, coroner Dave Kimpton made 31 recommendations, most of which are addressed to Santé Québec and the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux des Laurentides (CISSSL).
Kimpton also recommended that the Quebec Order of Nurses “raise awareness among its members about the care of patients with spinal cord injuries” and offer them “basic and ongoing training on the subject.”
He asked Santé Québec to implement “best practices for the management of patients with spinal cord injuries in all emergency departments of Quebec health network institutions.”
Kimpton emphasized that Meunier’s condition required specialized monitoring, rigorous preventive measures and rapid access to appropriate therapeutic surfaces.
He concluded that the bedsores appeared or worsened in the hospital setting. This led him to say that the patient’s assessment was incomplete, the documentation insufficient, the mobilization irregular, and that the delays in obtaining essential equipment and wound care expertise were too long.
There were also issues with the transfer of information that contributed to the gradual deterioration of Meunier’s health. The coroner also points out that corrective actions have been implemented since the death. However, he believes that further measures are essential to prevent other patients from experiencing similar care trajectories.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
