The final day of a fatality inquiry into the scalding bathtub death of a 90-year-old city woman in an extended

care home heard recommendations for changes

Afatality inquiry was told,Alberta needs strict new rules governing nursing homes to prevent

another scalding death like theone that killed 90-year-old Jennie Nelson last year.

Lawyers for both the Nelson family and Edmonton’s Jubilee Lodge Nursing Home called for mandatory

anti-scalding devices in every long-term care centre in the province.

The Jubilee Lodge now has anti-scald devices on its tubs.

The investigation is seeking answers in Nelson’s death. She received deep burns to nearly one

quarter of her body after being lowered into a Century tub on Jan. 2, 2004. She died of her injuries

nine days later.

Ms. E Olszewski, Counsel for the family suggested that serious injuries in nursing homes should

be made public in periodic provincial reports.

Ms. Ingrid Dzviinski, daughter of Jennie Nelson was shocked to learn how long it took for Mrs.

Nelson to receive any kind of medical attention. It took an hour for to receive an injection of

morphine and over an hour for professional staff to call an ambulance to send her to hospital.

She also said that when a family member isplaced in a care facility, it is important to visit

them and “check on them”.

Testimony indicated Nelson, who had dementia, was unable to communicate but appeared

to struggle in pain when she was lowered into the bath water with a mechanical lift.

Witnesses testified staff at the home didn’t check the water temperature before lowering

her into the water.

Although the nursing home had a written policy on the temperature of its water for bathing

residents,faulty conversion between Farenheit and Celsius could have resulted in the water

being much hotter than allowed, evidence suggested.

Judge Lloyd Malin, who presided over the fatality inquiry, is to make recommendations over

thenext couple of weeks. The intent of the Fatality Inquiry isnot to find fault but to look for

ways of ensuring it won’t happen again.

He said his recommendations will cover the entire nursing-home industry in the province

and not just the Jubilee Lodge Nursing Home.

Tags: scalding

December 5, 2005