Resident dies after eating laundry pods
The case of the man, a resident who hasn’t been identified, has been brought to the Saskatchewan legislature where the province’s Minister of Health Dustin Duncan (Saskatchewan Party) said the incident is being investigated, with the investigation seeking to find out why and how the man was able to eat the laundry pods.
Meanwhile, Eunice Blanchard, who recently retired after working 34 years at the facility operated by the Catholic Health Ministry, said it was not simply an accident. She called the situation there a “gong show” and said the senior’s living at the home are “all upset” with their situation.
“They’ve been trying to shut me up,” Blanchard told CBC News. “But I’m not going to. So that’s what they do when it gets out there. They try and shut you up so you don’t say anything.”
Rule changes in senior’s homes
Reporter Mickey Djuric of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald wrote that the man ate three laundry pods. Djuric noted that the health region is now removing all laundry detergent pods from its long-term care facilities. In some facilities the residents have their own laundry appliances but henceforth they will be given laundry pods only when needed.
Bert Linklater, the senior vice president of operations for Moose Jaw’s Five Hills Health Region told media that the March 20 death was a tragedy. He said the ministry is taking steps to make sure that such an incident never happens again.
“If you think of how you safe-proof your home, that’s what we will do,” Linklater said. “This is a tragic death. Any unexpected death in any of our facilities we’re never pleased with. We’re shocked and dismayed.”
Incident at Senior’s Homes
There have been other occurrences at Saskatchewan senior’s home to make the news in the recent past. On Christmas Day 2014 The Pioneer Village in Regina was being taken to task for serving a “dismal” Christmas Day meal to its seniors, with a daughter of a resident complaining about her father being served a slice of bologna, a piece of salami, a bun and “watery macaroni salad” for Christmas dinner.
The facility apologized.
And a 56-year-old woman, Tessie Weigetz, who worked at the Santa Maria Senior Citizens Home in Regina, has been charged by police with assaulting a male resident there at the end of December. The family of the man set up a video camera in his room because he had often spoken of being afraid of the woman. They caught her abusing him and she was reported, fired and charged.
In the legislature Cam Broten (NDP), the leader of the opposition, said there is an ongoing issue with underfunding at senior’s homes and claimed that is the reason for the death of the resident in Moose Jaw, and for other incidents.
“These are not one-off isolated incidents,” Broten said. “It’s part of a pattern. We’re in a crisis with senior care in Saskatchewan and the government needs to realize it’s the product of short staffing and it’s creating dangerous and sometimes deadly consequences for Saskatchewan seniors.”
