83-year-old Albertan dies after walking out of long-term care facility and into the cold | 24CA News
Two investigations are inspecting how an 83-year-old lady with dementia died after leaving a central Alberta nursing house on a frigid November day.
On the afternoon of Nov. 28, Kay Green was discovered alive, mendacity within the snow between two close by houses in Viking, 135 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
Temperatures on the time hovered round –12 C however the wind chill made it really feel like –24, in accordance with Environment Canada.
Green, who had Alzheimer’s, had lived on the Extendicare Viking facility for 2 years. When she was discovered, she was carrying solely sweatpants, a cotton long-sleeved shirt, a zip-up sweater, one sock and no sneakers, in accordance with Patricia Collins, an in depth pal who had been given Green’s energy of lawyer.
“[Extendicare] called me and they said, ‘Do you have Kay with you?’ And I said no,” Collins instructed CBC.
“They all knew she had the tendency to run,” she mentioned. “That should be all over her file, that you’ve got to keep an eye on her.”
The tragic dying of an Alberta lady with dementia who wandered away from her care house in frigid temperatures has prompted an investigation by the provincial well being authority and questions from her pal about how this might have occurred.
Collins obtained the decision from Extendicare workers at about 12:40 p.m. Collins mentioned Green was discovered one hour later.
She died the subsequent morning within the Viking Health Centre.
Wander-management bracelet
Based in Ontario, Extendicare operates or supplies providers to greater than 100 long-term care houses and retirement communities throughout Canada.
Alberta Health Services lists Extendicare Viking amongst its long-term care amenities for seniors who’ve been assessed as now not capable of be cared for at house or in assisted residing. According to AHS, “long-term care facilities are designed specifically for individuals with complex, unpredictable medical needs.”
After struggling a stroke about two years earlier, Green had misplaced her capacity to talk and talk. She wore a wander-management bracelet that will activate an alarm if she left the constructing, Collins mentioned.
In a press release, Extendicare confirmed it’s conducting its personal investigation into the incident. The assertion didn’t tackle how Green was capable of depart the constructing undetected.
“This is a tragic situation and we continue to be focused on supporting our community and on our investigation to better understand what happened,” a spokesperson mentioned in an emailed assertion.
“We are remaining in touch and providing support to the family friend, as well as to our staff, who are all grieving this loss of someone they knew and cared for.”
An emailed assertion from AHS mentioned: “We have started the review and our goal is to do it expediently and also making sure that it’s comprehensive.”
‘Her foot was black’
On the day Green went lacking, the temperature at Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Holden climate station, about 35 kilometres northwest of Viking, was hovering round –12 C however wind gusts that topped 40 km/h made it really feel twice as chilly.
Viking RCMP mentioned they had been referred to as at 1:04 p.m. about Green’s disappearance — greater than 20 minutes after Collins had been contacted.
RCMP mentioned Green was discovered earlier than police arrived. She was taken to the Viking Health Centre.
Collins mentioned she wasn’t ready for the extent of her pal’s accidents.
“I came into the hospital room, I saw her right foot sticking up at the edge of the bed and it was completely black. I hugged her and I kissed her, and I said, ‘I’m so glad you’re alive. I’m so glad you’re OK,’ and she smiled,” Collins mentioned.
Green was responding energetically. Collins stayed together with her in a single day. In the morning, when nurses got here in to verify her important indicators, Collins went out to get espresso and run a number of errands. When she got here again, Green’s situation had worsened.
“They said, ‘You need to come and be with your mom.’ They kept telling me she was my mom and I didn’t correct them. I didn’t care,” Collins mentioned.
“I told her that I loved her and I went through everybody’s names in the family and told her they all loved her … I was holding her hand and I was there for her as I would want somebody to be there for me.”
While she was there, Green started coughing and spitting up blood. Collins mentioned she died shortly after.
‘Kay was the spark’
Kay and her husband Andy operated Andy’s Country Kitchen, promoting truffles from a stall at a preferred Edmonton farmers’ market.
That’s the place Collins first witnessed Kay Green’s kindness and generosity.
“She would bring clothing to the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market and just hand it out to anybody who looked like they needed it,” Collins remembered.
The couple got here to reside with Collins, her husband and their 5 youngsters. It was solely speculated to be for a number of months however they ended up staying for eight.
“And I had no problem with it. They could have stayed forever,” Collins mentioned.
“In a dark room, Kay was the spark that lit it right up, no matter what she did.”
After Kay’s stroke, Andy Green moved into an condominium at Vialta Lodge, a supportive residing facility in Viking. He died in March of this yr.
Collins mentioned Green and her husband turned a part of the household and dropping her has been heartbreaking.
“This will be a difficult Christmas for us. She would have been 84 in January, and we will still put up her stocking and ornament.”
Green’s stroke was the impetus for Collins to maneuver her to a long-term care facility the place she would have fixed care.
Collins mentioned she desires Extendicare to be held accountable to make sure different residents and their households don’t expertise comparable tragedies.
“I thought she was fine. I thought she was safe. I had every confidence [in the facility],” Collins mentioned.
“They have to watch her 24/7, that’s the requirement. And they failed her. They failed her miserably.”
