Response to Star Phoenix article
I read the article entitled 鈥淔amily members mortified by treatment of mother with Dementia in Care Home鈥� in the June 30, 2020 edition of the Star Phoenix.聽 I would like to introduce myself as the spouse of a former resident, who lived in the Outlook and District Health Centre 鈥� long term with Dementia from March 8, 2016 until his passing on June 24, 2020.聽 In the 4.3 years that I was in and out of the before mentioned home, I was always impressed with the staff, and everything that they did for my husband as well as for other residents. Oh sure, I couldn鈥檛 understand how staff couldn鈥檛 brush his teeth saying he wouldn鈥檛 let them in his mouth, until I took over that job, and then I knew, it was not an easy task.聽 I was also a member of the Family Council which advocated for all residents not just our own loved one.聽 Staff always informed me of changes in Arnold鈥檚 medicine, and I was even telephoned in Regina where I was visiting, saying he had an infection and would be placed on antibiotics for it. Through this Covid 19 pandemic I have received many phone calls from the staff at the nursing home telling me how Arnold was doing during these times that visitations were off limits and I greatly appreciated this.聽
We are appalled by the accusations of Charysse Cashmen and Jocelan Ireland which I wish to address. First, my sources tell me that a fungal infection takes a long time to develop. Charysse and Jocelan, did you ever check your mother/grandmother鈥檚 feet before bringing her to Outlook?聽 I have met your mother/grandmother and she does not walk like a person with a sore foot 鈥� she walks better than I do,聽 moves very quickly, and I understand she reads the Star Phoenix daily! The wrist guard that people with Dementia wear in the facility automatically locks the doors when a Dementia person approaches them, and these doors can only be opened using a special code. It is still a puzzle how your loved one got out!! We once had a resident that walked around the facility with her purse in one hand and her sweater or jacket over her arm, and really she looked like a visitor so she would slip out the door when other visitors were coming or going and away she would go. You need to have eyes in the back of your head to keep track of some people!
You say that this particular nursing home is not equipped for your grandmother鈥檚 health needs, and I strongly disagree even though 80 percent of our residents have some form of Dementia.聽 Your loved one didn鈥檛 get a tub bath, which most people get once a week, because even using Gentle Persuasion she refused to have a bath, and you say that is not a valid excuse! That does not mean she went without having a good wash, and her crotch would get washed at least three times a day and that is the smelliest part of the body.聽 Would you want Catherine carried into the tub room by three attendants (if they were available) and placed into the tub with her screaming, swearing, and maybe hitting etc.? How safe would that be for Catherine or the staff?聽 I suspect no 鈥渉ome鈥� will meet all that you require for her. Mrs. Cashmen, if you are so disillusioned and absolutely sick by Catherine鈥檚 treatment in Outlook, how is it that she is still a resident of this 鈥渢errible home鈥�, and not in your home with you looking after her with some outside help? And, by the way, it is not the nursing home that needs to apologize to you, it is you who need to apologize to the nursing home!!
Many residents of Outlook have had their loved ones living in the nursing home here, and everyone that I have spoken with, has been very pleased with the treatment of their loved ones.聽 I had my husband at home for 6 years with Dementia until I was forced to place him in the Outlook and District Health Centre long term because our home was no longer safe for him, and he had been very easy to look after at home.聽 I was very happy that there was a spot for him in Outlook. Arnold was in his 11th year of that dreaded disease before his passing recently.聽 To be sure, there is always room for improvement everywhere, but this 鈥淗ome鈥� is not the horrible place you make it out to be. However, you got what you wanted by bad mouthing Outlook, Catherine got moved from tenth spot to first spot on the list!
Dorothea Pehl
Outlook, SK
