WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - A trial began Wednesday in Marathon County Circuit Court for the Wausau woman charged with neglect in her grandmother's death.
Kandise Sheahen, 38, is charged with negligently subjecting an individual at risk to abuse, causing death and crimes against an elderly or disabled person. Investigators said Sheahen had been the woman's health care power of attorney. The woman died on Jan. 8, 2022.
Investigators said EMS had been called to the home five times in the days before the elderly woman died. All of those calls were for lift assistance.
During a call for a medical response on Jan. 4, 2022 the woman, who was diabetic, was suspected to have low blood sugar. EMS advised the woman should be taken to the ER for hyperglycemia. Investigators said Sheahen stated she only wanted lift assistance for the woman. Sheahen then administered insulin. EMS also wanted to check the woman's vital signs. Sheahen reportedly said "those will not be taken tonight".
Following the death, people came forward with their concerns about the circumstances of the woman's death. Law enforcement was informed that Sheahen had posted on Facebook that she had taken the woman off of her medications. Those medications included insulin, blood pressure medication and pain medicine.
Autopsy results showed the woman died of diabetic ketoacidosis. She also had COVID at the time of her death, along with hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Results from the woman's blood sugar meter, going back 3 months, showed she was experiencing hyperglycemia in the weeks before her death. Court documents state Sheahen, a registered nurse, would be aware of this.
During further investigation, a detective said Sheahen took the woman off of her prescribed medication and began treating her with non-FDA-approved supplements.
Facebook posts showed Sheahen was selling the supplements.
Investigators found a Facebook post that said "12 days on Q Core and my 82 yr old Grandma is down on her insulin and off her Tylenol". During an interview with officers, Sheahen said "I did not put her on Q-Core and take her off the insulin, and it never [expletive] says that in that post. She later explained it [the Facebook post] was an advertising thing.
The woman's blood sugar meter showed her range was typically 200-300. Sheahen said that was not 'very high' and explained at that range her grandmother did best.
Sheahen told investigators several times, that while she was the woman's power of attorney, she felt the woman should be able to make her own decision and she was not going to force the woman to take medications.