MOOSE JAW — An Ontario woman whose aunt died in Moose Jaw two years ago after allegedly receiving poor health-care treatment still wants justice for her relative and hopes an investigative firm can help.
1 from the end of June to mid-July, visiting Alan’s aunt, Jean Shankoff. Shankoff, 81, had been in the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital since early June after falling at home.
Shankoff — who was diagnosed with breast cancer and early dementia — spent a month in the hospital before she was transferred to Marcie Private Care Home at 1301 Princess Street on June 29. She spent two weeks there before she died on July 10.
Meanwhile, she also contacted the Ministry of Health with concerns about Marcie Private Care Home. After investigating the situation, the ministry told the Ontario couple that the investigator was unable to substantiate the complaints, which the report also confirmed.
The ministry also allegedly told her that it couldn’t intervene because the care home was privately operated.
The couple emailed the care home consultant who wrote the report and refuted the findings by discussing what they saw. The consultant replied and explained that just because something is unfounded does not mean the issue did not happen. Instead, it means she could not find conclusive evidence that the care home was at fault or guilty.
She also pointed out that this issue is similar to a “he said, she said” situation.
Da Costa-Cox then appealed the consultant’s findings to the provincial ombudsman, who investigated the matter and responded this past spring. Da Costa provided the Express with a chain of emails involving conversations she had with the assistant ombudsman of investigations.
The assistant ombudsman told da Costa-Cox that the office was closing her complaint after working with the Ministry of Health’s community care branch to identify areas it thought were lacking in the branch’s investigations.
The ombudsman’s office presented and explained its best practices for handling complaints and asked the branch to send apologies that recognized the deficiencies in the branch’s complaint investigations.
“The apologies received were not satisfactory to any of the complainants and our office,” the assistant ombudsman said, noting two other families — one at the same care home in Moose Jaw — also came forward with similar concerns.
The ombudsman’s office contacted the branch’s executive director and expressed concerns that the latter’s email communications with the three complainant families were unsatisfactory and took a minimalist, unempathetic approach that didn’t use details or language expressing understanding for the families’ experiences.
The assistant ombudsman thanked da Costa-Cox for bringing forward her complaint, noting that the office could not do its work without individuals speaking up with concerns about the system.
“I know that our intervention may not have completely resolved all of your concerns, but hopefully we have helped some,” the woman added.
Da Costa-Cox told the Express that it has been frustrating to receive the runaround from the ministry and ombudsman’s office, while she and her husband don’t know who to turn to and believe there is no closure to this issue.
“Innocent, helpful folks will continue to die at the hands of these private care homes that seem to be well protected and are somehow immune to any laws governing them,” she said.
“I feel there’s no justice in this system and I feel there are some serious issues with the hospital system as well … ,” she continued. “Maybe this (situation) will help prevent other families from going through (the same issue) in the future.”
The College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan has hired Veritas Solutions to review the situation further.
