PREFACE

Konstanty (Ken) and Josephine Stankiewicz are upright, honorable persons who have done their best to be good Alberta citizens. He is now eighty seven years of age and she is ninety three years of age.

Mr Stankiewicz worked until he was sixty five years of age and then did not retire but worked as a Commissionaire for the government until he was over eighty one years of age. He took great pride in his work and was often asked to transfer to the private sector and work for private businesses. Then due to illness, he was forced to retire and has only been in retirement for about six years.

His disabling illness of Parkinsonism was not diagnosed until a few days ago. Now these elderly persons struggle because of his illness.

Further to the attached report of the Protection For Persons in Care in Tab 2 B:

Section 1

Paragraph 2 – According to Ken and Josephine Stankiewicz, the room was thoroughly searched, including the bed which was totally pulled apart.

Paragraph 4 – How could that flimsy bed have retained the heavy, double wallet in between the bed and wall for close to two weeks? Note TAB 6. During this period,

1. Konstanty and Josephine had thoroughly searched the room for many hours.
2. The bed had been stripped and remade on Monday, the 7th of April. One cannot possibly make the bed without pulling it from the wall. Note Tab 5 / photographs of bed and wallet.
3. The room was regularly cleaned by workers, the floor was cleaned.
4. Ken slept in the bed every night and made the bed in the morning.

Section # 2 – (Page 3)

Paragraph 4 – The intent of the meeting was threatening, accusatory and the strong message was that he was to be removed. The correspondence of Pat Dahlbeck RN dated May 2/03 clearly reiterates the strong message of the meeting. Note Tab # 7 – letter # 1.

This story is beyond belief and if we had not lived it, we would also find it most difficult to believe. Nevertheless, the rudeness and disrespect is very typical of treatment which many of our older citizens endure in far too many elder care facilities.

Complaint

May 26, 2003

VIA FAX 415 8611
To: THE PROTECTION FOR PERSONS IN CARE ACT ABUSE LINE.
Re: THE ATTEMPTED EVICTION OF KONSTANTY (KEN) STANKIEWICZ
from the MEADOWLARK SENIOR CITIZENS LODGE, 609 161 Street, Edmonton, AB. Ph. 780-484-0581

GREATER EDMONTON FOUNDATION
Complaint Re: PAULINE KOHLMAN, MANAGER

1. On April 14, 2003, an Old Age Security worker phoned us from the Edmonton regional office to inform us that she felt that a 93 year old Josephine Stankiewicz (Josephine) had been badly treated by the Lodge Manager where her husband lived. She said that this lady (Josephine) had been to see her previously in order to replace the husband’s senior card and other documents.
2. She informed us that husband, Ken (Konstanty) Stankiewicz’s wallet had gone missing at the Meadowlark Senior’s Lodge.



3. April 3, 2003 this missing wallet had been reported to the Assistant Manager, Ms. Becky Wright who immediately went to the room to help search for the wallet. It is a very thick, heavy wallet. (Note attached photograph) During her search she pulled apart the bed and bedding of Ken Stankiewicz. When the wallet and documents were not found, an Incident Report was filled out by Becky Wright.
4. Both Josephine and husband, Ken, searched the room for many hours without success. On the advice and with the assistance of neighbors, the matter was reported to the police at the West Edmonton Mall Office.
5. Monday, April 7., 2003, According to weekly routine, Ken Stankiewicz’s bed was stripped and clean bedding was placed on the bed by a Good Samaritan Home Care Support worker. No wallet was found.
6. Monday, August 14, 2003, 8:30 AM, Josephine came to the lodge to take her husband to the Lab for tests. Pauline Kalman, Manager told Josephine that she wished to meet with her in her office.
7. Josephine returned to the Lodge at about 11:30 AM and went to the Office of the Manager, Pauline Kohlman. Pauline told Josephine that the wallet had been found that morning in the bed during the routine weekly bed making,.
8. Pauline called Josephine a: “liar”, to have said that the wallet had been stolen.
9. During this conversation, Josephine wished to appeal to the Assistant Manager, Becky Wright who had searched the bedroom and bed on April 3, 2003. However, Pauline Kohlman went to the door of Becky’s Office and slammed the door shut.
10. Pauline Kohlman said a number of things to this little 80 lb. 93 year old Josephine Stankiewicz. “What kind of a man is your husband that he walks that way?” In recent weeks, Mr. Stankiewicz has very swollen feet and therefore has some difficulty walking quickly.
11. Pauline Kohlman was very aggressive, shaking and waving her finger at the elder and her final statement was, “Take your husband and get the h— out of here and don’t come back.”
12. My notes indicate that on April 23, 2003, Josephine phoned to tell me that a Pat Dahlbeck RN, Capital Health Authority had phoned her to tell her that she should look for a nursing home for her husband or be prepared to take him home. Naturally, Josephine was very, very upset and frightened.
13. When I went to visit Mr. Stankewicz sometime after this meeting, he was frightened and crying, wondering what would happen to him. After all, this is allegedly his home or so elderly persons are told when they move into these places.
14. Josephine had informed us that Pauline Kohlman had told her a meeting would be held together with Good Samaritan on April 24, 2003 @ 10:00 AM. She nor her husband knew what the meeting was for.
15. Josephine asked us to attend with her and her husband because she was afraid of these people because of the rough treatment she had received at the hands of the Manager, Pauline Kohlman.

THE MEETING

16. April 24, 2003, we arrived with Josephine and Ken Stankiewicz at 10:00AM. Present were:
    • Pauline Kohlman, Manager, Meadowlark Lodge,
    • Pat Dahlbeck, RN, Case Manager, Southwest Homecare, Capital Health Authority,
    • Esther Tebia RN, Casual Field Supervisor – (Does not work full time) Good Samaritan Home Support Services
    • Debra Martin – clerical scheduling – Good Samaritan Home Support Services,



17. Why did a clerical scheduler and a part time supervisor attend this meeting?
18. Why was Becky Wright, Assistant Manager, who had searched the room and written an Incident Report on April 3, 2003 not at the meeting? Considering the focus of the meeting, it is curious that she did not attend.
19. The four above named persons appeared most discomfited when we arrived with Josephine and Ken. They insisted that we, Elder Advocates of Alberta, could not stay and that the meeting was confidential. When we stated that we had been asked to stay and were going to stay, Pauline Kohlman and the others then stated that the meeting would not proceed because of privacy issues.
20. The gentleman who was with me stated: “Whose privacy?”
21. Ultimately, the meeting did go forward. The discussion focused on the wallet which had been missing.
22. All four pointedly accused Josephine of making untruthful accusations against homecare workers.
23. All four attendees:
    1. Made the implausible claim that the thick, heavy wallet had been lodged between the wall and the bed for close to 2 weeks.
    2. Disregarded the fact that Becky Wright had done a thorough search on April 3/03.
    3. Refused to produce the Incident Report that Becky Wright had prepared on April 3/03.
    4. Disregarded the fact that the bed had been stripped and remade on the morning of Apri17/03.
    5. Disregarded the fact that Ken slept in the bed every night and made the bed every morning. (Note photographs of bed and wallet)
    6. Disregarded the fact that the room had been cleaned and the bed would have to be moved to do so.




24. Josephine who is of such small stature that she hardly clears the top of the table stated: “Four people against two old people”. Indeed.
25. Esther Tebia held up her RN pin indicating that she was an RN, she had some difficulty expressing herself, but appeared most rude and aggressive towards Josephine. Her body language demonstrated strong disapproval of Josephine and Ken.
26. Esther Tebia stated a number of times that her workers were: “at risk” This sounded ludicrous considering the two elders before us.
27. This matter of workers being at risk was echoed by the clerical scheduler, Debra Martin, Pat Dahlbeck and Pauline Kohlman.
28. Pat Dahlbeck RN stated strongly and repeatedly that Josephine must never say that things were stolen she must only say that they were missing.
29. The following options were then outlined to Josephine for Ken by Pat Dahlbeck:
    1. Could stay there but provide his own home care.
    2. Move to another Greater Edmonton Foundation facility
    3. Move to long term care
    4. Return home and be cared for by Josephine
30. It became most apparent that the intent of the meeting had been to evict Ken (Konstanty) Stankiewicz from the Lodge.
31. Pat Dahlbeck used the term service him. We said serve him.
32. Throughout the lengthy meeting, persons repeatedly reinforced the statement that the Good Samaritan Home Support Services could be withdrawn and in fact nearly had been withdrawn. The tone of the meeting was most intimidating and threatening despite our presence. It was most disturbing.
33. My notes show Ken was told, “You can move to another lodge”, to which Josephine replied that this is his home.
34. Josephine mentioned that she had overheard Pauline Kohlman telling a male lodge resident as he was eating in the dining room to: “shut up”,
35. Pauline did not deny this but said the man had now been evicted from the lodge.
36. Pat Dahlbeck made the statement that Ken was being forgetful and was requiring a lot of services.
37. When I inquired of her what home care services he was receiving, she immediately turned to me and asked: “Why”
38. She and the others did then respond that he:
    1. Was receiving help to dress in the morning and in the evening get ready for bed
    2. Was receiving medication assistance.
    3. Had a bacterial rash in his genital area according to Pat Dahlbeck and she had ordered ointment for him.
39. It sounded as if Ken was receiving considerable care and almost totally dependant which is not true.
40. In fact:

    1. Ken does not receive morning and evening care, he dresses himself. He makes his own bed.
    2. Ken’s medications are in his drawer in his room and he takes his own medications.
    3. Josephine took Ken to the Doctor. for his swollen feet and she asked the doctor to examine him concerning the alleged rash because she did not believe he had a rash. The doctor found no rash and the ointment was returned to pharmacy.

The Letter

41. Letter of May 2/03, Pat Dahlbeck reinforced the threatening options stated at the meeting.
42. She refers to missing/stolen items as misplaced – paragraph 2, line 2
43. Paragraph 1 – states that Pauline, Deb and Elaine attended the meeting. In fact there was a Pauline Kohlman, a Deb Martin, but no Elaine.
44. The letter indicates that it was allegedly copied to Deb Hallett and Elaine Harmer who allegedly attended the meeting.
45. The letter identifies them as being Good Samaritan Support personnel.
46. In fact these two persons:
    1. were not at the meeting.
    2. are not employed by the Good Samaritan Society, according to Good Samaritan Society Human Resources personnel.
47. Pauline Kohlman, Manager,
    1. Verbally manhandled and terrorized a 93 year old senior
    2. Gave an implausible/ untruthful account concerning the missing/stolen wallet.
    3. Published an implausible/ untruthful defamatory account to others.
    4. Falsely accused these two seniors of speaking untruths
    5. Strongly threatened to withdraw homecare support and encouraged the caregiver home support persons to withdraw support.
    6. Threatened eviction of a vulnerable 87 year old man
    7. Caused extreme stress to Alberta citizens whose only failing is that they are old.
    8. Caused extreme stress and uncertainty, which in the very elderly translates into physical and mental destabilization resulting in falls, depression and other severe issues.

Letters

Click to Enlarge

Calendar

Tags: Josephine Stankiewicz, Konstanty Stankiewicz, MEADOWLARK SENIOR CITIZENS LODGE, Protection for Persons in Care Act