REGINA – There are renewed calls for minimum standards in senior care, following a Saskatchewan family’s horrific story of neglect in a Regina care home.
Margaret Warholm, 74, suffered a fall in August 2013. Medical records show a fractured spine was diagnosed months later when Warholm was admitted to hospital.
She also had a large bed sore and was severely malnourished. Her family told reporters Warholm lost 30 lbs. in just a few months.
Opposition critics are demanding a Bill of Rights for residents in care, saying it would reduce the likelihood of cases such as this in the future.
“People should know whether or not their loved one … can have two baths a week, if they can have a minimum of 20 minutes, one-on-one, at mealtime (to insure food is eaten),” said NDP leader Cam Broten. “These are the types of specifics that are needed.”
Health minister Dustin Duncan is asking for an investigation into Margaret’s case.
In a letter to the Saskatchewan Ombudsman, Duncan said he wants to know if the Province’s care home guidelines were followed.
But Duncan takes exception to comments suggesting poor care in Saskatchewan facilities is the norm.
“There is always more work to be done in terms of ensuring residents in our care have a level of care you or I would expect for our loved one,” Duncan said. “I think (Warholm’s) case goes beyond that.”
The Ombudsman’s office confirmed Thursday it will look into the case, while comparing it to similar files in the past.
Investigations of this nature can take six to 18 months to complete.
READ BELOW: Health minister Dustin Duncan’s letter to the Saskatchewan Ombudsman
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