Let there be NO doubt, the term "special care” should not be allowed to be used to describe conditions at Maplewood House. To even suggest there was "special care", is absolutely absurd! It was a lock down unit or “security unit” within a facility that was already locked up! These types of lock down areas should be against the law as they deprive residents of all
dignity and rights and foster an environment where neglect and abuse in all it’s forms can run rampant!
The family did not want mom in one of these units. We felt that it would be the end of her if she was forced to go there. And we were right.
Maplewood “ special care” was an old, dingy , and run down, unit. Most of the time it reeked of bodily wastes and at times sounded like an insane asylum with residents yelling and wailing. There were not enough comfortable chairs for the residents to sit on and many had to sit on hard waiting room type chairs for hours. The rooms were bleak with broken down old furniture. The residents rooms had automatic door locks on them so when they left the room the doors would lock and they couldn’t get back into their room without a nurse who had “the key”.
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| Corey Primus |
It has come to our attention that the SCU has no "special" services attached to it, but is just a lock down and or punishment wing. It fosters a lack of: dignity, healthy practice, and personal privacy, which is contrary to the "Residents Bill of Rights," not to mention human rights in general.
1.) A few days after admission Hilda was found by family members to be wandering, disoriented, and to the point of total exhaustion in the garden She was totally covered with mud from head to toe and was extremely distressed. as she could not find the way back inside.
2.) She is locked out of her room when she leaves it and cannot get back in at will but must rely on staff (who are usually busy) to let her back in. (Prior to Maplewood she had a key and knew how to use one).
3.) She has been over drugged to the point of constant drooling and sleeping.
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| This is after nurse Georgina's pedicure. |
5.) She had a bladder infection that was not addressed until a family member pointed it out. (It doesn't help that she can't get back in her room to use the bathroom, and yes her continence was just fine at admission to Maplewood.)
6.) Her toe nails had not been cut or looked after and she could only walk with great discomfort. This also had to be pointed out by a family member.
7.) The food at times is so bad she will not eat it. There appears to be a lack of fresh nutritious food.
8.) She is forced to eat off of unhealthy stained melamine plates with only a spoon. She has constantly asked for a fork but this seems to be denied to her for no reason. There is actually a health concern over the use of melamine dishes.
9.) She doesn't get the meal items identified as to her likes, in particular milk and cranberry juice with her meals (which we have repeatedly requested).
10.) Her clothing disappears and personal items disappear. Her outdoor jacket went missing for 10 days over Christmas. Family members were forced to give her their own jacket so she could go out with them and join in the holiday festivities. Her slippers went missing. She went there with several combs, brush and other toiletries all of which have disappeared. Her moisture lotions are gone. Her favorite necklace is gone as well as several others, etc. This is costume jewelry but nevertheless is important to her. This is a lock down unit. Where does this stuff go? Before she was sent to Maplewood SCU she wore a necklace and earrings every day. Now she wears nothing as most is missing.
11.) She had been personally violated by another resident in the SCU. This resident has inappropriately been seen in front of family members to be kissing her on the mouth and violating her personal space. This could be construed as a sexual act and therefore assault. This same other resident, has also been heard calling Hilda a "bitch" when Hilda didn't want to go with her. This same other resident has also been extremely rude to family members. We are certainly not opposed to Hilda having this person to talk to as there doesn't seem to be any one else there that can communicate at all, but the inappropriate interactions need to be addressed. If Hilda rebels against these inappropriate actions is she the one that’s going to penalized, ie drugged.
12.) She has been found sleeping in a community room wearing someone else's clothing top and her pajama bottoms on backwards. As the clothing in question had not been in her room the day before as observed by family, where and why was she in it the next day. It was nearly lunchtime so why was she not even dressed for the day? She likes to be dressed for breakfast and, until she came to Maplewood, dressed herself.
13.) On more than one occasion her personal bathroom has been without toilet paper and if not for a family member there she would be left with nothing to use. Even though some was requested it had still not shown up several hours later.
14.) She has been denied the use of a personal telephone in her room and when speaking to family members on the phone at the nurses station has been told what to say by a staff member. ie. She told her daughter she wasn't feeling well and in the background a staff member told her to say she felt fine.
15.) She is denied a cable outlet in her room even though the general population in Maplewood have this service. Is this punishment?
16.) She is denied the pleasure of participating in musical events etc. at Maplewood as they are in the main area and she cannot go there without a family member taking her. (she loves music and can get very bored in the SCU). Is this also punishment? There is a lack of any stimulating activities in the SCU. I would suggest she doesn't belong there.
Hilda has lived in Abbotsford for 70 years. She worked in the community and raised her family there. It is a sad state of affairs when the same community that she has contributed to for most of her life turns around and abuses her when she is old and frail.
We fail to see the "Excellence in Seniors Care" at Maplewood House, perhaps you could work to change that.
Sincerely,
The Hilda Penner family
Cc. Ricky Kwan CEO
So of course this all made mom anxious and upset, and no one knew what kind of anxiety and damage the SCU in itself was causing her. I can only imagine how it may have affected her psyche or disposition being around this 24/7, so they would take care of this by drugging her into oblivion....like others.....so she did nothing but sleep and drool. We usually found her sitting asleep on a hard chair. There were very few comfortable soft chairs in which to “sleep” and she couldn’t get back into her room. She would be very grateful when we came and got her room open so she could al least rest on her own little couch. 
When we visited, we had to play the ten second rule. If we didn't keep her conversing, in ten seconds she would fall asleep. There were times she was so drugged that she was delirious and once, when she didn’t even know who I was (she always knew family). She was also having small seizures. We told the director of care, and mom's doctor, but they ignored us. Dr. Winner was moms doctor but he is not the doctor that staff at Maplewood contacted to write the prescription for anti-psychotic medication. (Maplewood staff had a habit of going to other doctors for perscriptions - more on this in an upcoming blog). Following are the last two Inspection Reports in support of my claims of the deplorable conditions that existed when my mom was a resident at Maplewood, as they appear on the Fraser Health Authorities Inspection list.
Of the 16 points of concern we listed, hoping that they would address, not one of them was even attempted to be addressed. Not even the simple ones (8) a simple fork and napkin or (9) milk and cranberry juice with meals.
What a Sham! In over 2 and a half years of inspections, Maplewood was cited for some terrible, deplorable offenses, many of them repetative. Yet not once during that time, was there license to operate ever suspended, nor did they recieve any fines, nor did they do anything to improve conditions. Why would you, since inspections and licensing has no teeth to enforce any disiplinary actions. But here's the biggest Sham, the Biggest shame of it all... just 6 short weeks after the worst inspection they ever recieved!...
In the “Special Care Unit” at Maplewood Mom was neglected, and emotionally, physically and sexually abused. Her most basic needs did not even come close to being met there. My mom was forced into the most deplorable conditions and was stripped of all human dignity and rights.
Someone needs to be held accountable for these egregiously cruel acts of elder abuse.
Continued details associated with this blog will be posted as quickly as time allows. Please check back from time to time for updates to this unbelievable abuse. There are no statements made herein that we do not have evidence of to substantiate. If you have had a similar experience please be heard, call your MLA.
