SENIOR ABUSE AWARENESS 59 By Kerry Campbell, CBC News - Jul. 12, 2022 Grieving families call for public inquiry to look at long-term care in P.E.I. One resident was so dehydrated ‘her eyelids were stuck to her eyeballs,’ family says Two Prince Edward Island families are making an impassioned appeal for a public inquiry to look at the state of long-term care in the province, after the deaths of elderly relatives living in private care homes. Representatives of the families appeared Tuesday at a news conference organized by the Green Party of P.E.I. And they didn't hesitate to say they believe the care their relatives received amounted to neglect. The facilities involved were not named. Jean Cutcliffe's aunt was admitted to long-term care in November of 2019. Cutcliffe's voice shook on Tuesday as she described receiving a phone call nine months later, as her aunt lay in bed at the care home. "She said everything was dark…She couldn't see. She couldn't open her eyes." Cutcliffe immediately called the nurse on duty at her aunt's unit, who said the elderly woman was fine. Cutcliffe had to insist she be taken to hospital for treatment. What she learned horrified her. "She was so dehydrated her eyelids were stuck to her eyeballs." Cutcliffe's aunt was also suffering from a urinary tract infection, one of several the family says she suffered while in care. They say the catheters used on the woman were not changed often enough. "My question is … how could a nursing home that is supposed to be providing care allow this to happen? You know, it didn't happen overnight. Basically, inmy opinion, it was a case of longterm neglect." After her aunt was released from hospital, the family moved her to another care home — after a staff member at the first home suggested it might be bad for her health if she returned. The woman died a month later. Broken arm led to long-term care The second family was represented at the news conference by Patricia Thorburn Maneta. She normally lives in Greece but her sister Jacqui Chaisson lives on P.E.I. Their 88-year-old mother also lived here. They say she was a vibrant, independent person until she broke her arm last year. Patricia Thorburn Maneta's sister Jacqui Chaisson took this selfie with their mother Joyce Thorburn shortly after the older woman broke her arm last year. (Submitted by Jacqui Chaisson) It didn't happen overnight. Basically, in my opinion, it was a case of long-term neglect. — Jean Cutcliffe Jean Cutcliffe takes a moment to compose herself while speaking about her aunt's experience at a privately-run P.E.I. long-term care home. (Kerry Campbell/CBC)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==