Police probe death of care-home resident

Halifax police are investigating the death of a 40-year-old woman for possible criminal negligence after her family raised concerns about her care at a long-term care facility.

Const. Carol Mcisaac said o - cers received a report from family members on May 23 that the resident of Parkstone Enhanced Care died at the city’s QEII Health Sciences Centre months earlier.

Mcisaac said the relatives were concerned about the care she had received at the Clayton Park facility.

“ ey raised concerns in relation to the medical condition that she had been transported to the hospital for treatment of,” McIsaac said Friday.

“This medical condition was not a pre-existing condition prior to it developing at the facility where she was staying.”

Matt Proctor, the vice-president of marketing and communications for Shannex Inc., Parkstone’s owner, issued a brief statement in response Friday.

“We take this matter seriously and will fully cooperate with the Halifax Police. Given that this investigation will take some time, we will respectfully limit any further comment,” he said.

On its website, Parkstone says it has 194 residents, including seniors requiring nursing home care and four respite guests.

Police did not identify the woman, but interim Progressive Conservative Leader Karla Macfarlane issued a statement calling the death of Chrissy Dunnington a “tragic example of how the health crisis is failing Nova Scotians.”

Macfarlane also urged the provincial Liberal government to co-operate with the investigation and require the Health Department to report unexpected deaths at nursing homes.

“It shouldn’t be up to a grieving family, like the Dunningtons, to engage the police,” the statement said. “Families expect their government to ensure their loved ones are treated well in nursing homes.”

The NDP, meanwhile, called on the province to make nursing home inspections public.

On ursday, the Department of Health and Wellness said it was “taking action to improve wound care in long-term care facilities and ensure consistent standards across the province.”

All long-term care homes must immediately report “pressure wounds” and “serious pressure ulcers” to the province, and have wound-care protocols in place, it said.

Police say the woman had been taken to hospital by emergency health services on Jan. 28 to be treated for an unspeci ed medical condition. She died in hospital about eight weeks later on March 22.