Dundas nursing home under fire after attack
Provincial investigation into beating finds St. Joseph’s Villa failed to protect its residents
A provincial investigation into the beating at St. Joseph’s Villa that left a man with serious injuries has found the Dundas nursing home failed to protect its residents from abuse.
The Dundas nursing home is cited for nine Long-Term Care Homes Act violations and has been issued three orders to be complied with by May 30.
The ministry has ordered St. Joseph’s Villa to implement a plan to protect residents from physical abuse, educate staff on behaviours and to follow a “code white” protocol to respond immediately to incidents of violence.
The report says the Villa failed to act on behaviours shown by the attacker as early as five weeks before the beating.
James Acker, 86, was severely beaten by another Villa resident while asleep in the middle of the night Jan. 28.
The attacker was another man on the same floor who has Alzheimer’s.
Acker’s daughter isn’t happy with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s investigation.
“It’s a farce as far as I’m concerned,” Tammy Carbino said.
“How are you holding anyone accountable? You’re not,” Carbino added.
“My father was almost murdered. … The government is just pushing paper around.”
St. Joseph’s Villa president Derrick Bernardo expressed regret for the attack.
“We are saddened by this incident and our concern continues to be with the residents and their families,” Bernardo said in a prepared statement Monday.
“We will continue to work with the Ministry of Health on the findings of their report,” he continued.
“Safety remains a priority concern for St. Joseph’s Villa and we are committed to doing everything possible to ensure our residents and their families feel safe in our care and within our facility,” he said.
Bernardo says that, before the Jan. 28 attack, the nursing home had safety measures in place, including night security, Alzheimer’s Society community re- sources and staff educa- tion and training.
Since the incident, the Villa has taken more measures “to ensure greater safety,” including more security patrols in secured units, more education for staff, installation of security cameras and more surveillance monitoring ability, he says.
“The Ministry of Health report is something that we take very seriously, and we will continue to explore different models of care to help those seniors living with dementia in our community.”
St. Joseph’s Healthcare owns St. Joseph’s Villa, which is on Governors Road.
Acker — who has dementia but was high functioning, his family says — was taken by ambulance to Hamilton General Hospital with head trauma, including bleeding on the brain, black eyes and a swollen, bruised and bloody face.
His condition has deteriorated ever since, Carbino said.
The latest major setback was when doctors found “a significant amount of blood on his brain” after she complained about his severe decline, she said.
Doctors had to drain the blood, she added.
“Now, we’re just waiting … it’s not looking good. … They said if he doesn’t get better that we should get ready for palliative care.”
The provincial investigation into this incident, called an inspection report on a “critical incident,” doesn’t give the date of the attack nor does it describe it.
However, the ministry has confirmed to The Spectator that the report is connected to the assault on Acker.
Jim Lamont, chair of the Villa’s family council, said in an email he is very upset with the ministry because it “is required to contact the chair of the family council on conclusion of an investigation. This has not been done.”
He also believes families of Villa residents are not satisfied with steps taken so far. “Without additional funding … and a more precise and comprehensive training program for PSWs (personal support workers) — and (because of ) the unpredictable symptomology of dementia — events will occur.”
Lamont said the council has produced its own safeguards, such as a “how to report” booklet to be located at nursing stations, but is discussing its implementation with the Villa.