"Rise in the presence of the aged, and show respect for the elderly."

Karen Patching removed mother from Columbia Age Care Home

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KAREN PATCHING REMOVED MOTHER FROM SENIORS CARE FACILITY

My mother has been a resident of the Age Care facility in West Lethbridge, Alberta,
for 4 of the past 5 years.


Due to the danger that Columbia Age Care has put my mother in by not caring for her

properly and by not quickly enacting the recommendations of the Chief Medical Officer,
I have chosen to move my mother from the dangers of the senior facility to my home.
The Manager of the Lethbridge facility agreed that she would be much safer with me

Our health care system has underfunded Columbia Age Care and likely similar facilities
as well. Columbia Age care is understaffed, under supplied and ill prepared for a
pandemic let alone a regular yearly flu outbreak.

My mother lived in the Independent area of the facility, where no one takes responsibility
for the care of these elderly. They are on their own. In December my mother, ill with the
flue, did not go down for meals for 4 days.
She was not able to ring for help. No one
was aware of this, it was not reported to the head of the care staff, nor did anyone call
me to tell me that my Mother was deathly ill.

Staff hygiene, handwashing etc. is virtually nonexistent. Electronic thermometers are
not on hand to test all people entering the facility. The Calgary Manager of Age Care
told me that they did not have hand sanitizer for their residents nor wipes to supply
to residents.

Our health care system has allowed seniors homes to be run without an RN on staff or on
site.
Most care workers are undertrained and under paid. Most are over worked as there are not
enough of them to provide proper care to all residents.

I now have little faith in type of care and treatment of the elderly that the Columbia
Age Care provides.

Karen Patching

The above document has been adapted from a four page statement complete with recommendations
authored by Karen Patching of Lethbridge, AB.