Lawyer gives $2K to nurse who flagged senior’s care
Lawyer Amani Oakley was so outraged at the disciplinary action taken against a Saskatchewan nurse for complaining about her grandfather’s care at a nursing home, she’s donating $2,000 to help Carolyn Strom.
Strom was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $25,000 in legal costs after complaining about the home’s care on Facebook.
“I think we are really in need of people ( like Strom),” said Oakley, who has launched a lawsuit against one of Canada’s biggest nursinghome chains.
Toronto lawyer Amani Oakley was so outraged at the disciplinary action taken against a Saskatchewan nurse for complaining publicly about her grandfather’s care at a nursing home, she’s donating $ 2,000 to help Carolyn Strom.
Strom was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $25,000 in legal costs this week after the province’s College of Nurses censured her for complaining about the home’s care on Facebook. A GoFundMe page has been launched in her name.
Oakley has a particular interest in the case. Last year, she launched a unique class- action lawsuit against Revera, owner of one of the country’s biggest nursinghome chains, over treatment of its residents. She spoke to the National Post’s Tom Blackwell. This is an edited transcript.
Q Why did you decide to donate to Strom?
A I think we are really in need of people who are willing to come forward like this, and this seems like such a wrong-headed move, and very contrary to the requirement of the College of Nurses to be on the lookout for patient care and patient safety.
Q Did the College in effect punish a whistleblower?
A Absolutely. And again, the logic here escapes me. They are taking complaints from people in the facility that (Strom) complained about … instead of looking into what happened to her grandfather.
Q The college says she wasn’t being punished for speaking out, but for doing it inappropriately? Is that possible?
A They spent $150,000 on this woman’s discipline. That’s really over-killing it … I think a nurse has a duty and an obligation to speak out when she sees bad patient care. I don’t think it’s up to the College or anyone else to decide what venue it should be done in.
Q What impact will this have on your ability to find insider witnesses in malpractice cases?
A My experience is that it’s been virtually impossible to find someone who is willing to come forward and to actually say what they remember and what they saw and the problems involved … Every once in a while, you get someone who is honest and forthright ... The very last thing we want to do is punish those people.