CALGARY — Another family says a loved one has died of a blood infection from untreated bed sores at a Calgary seniors home.
Wyonne Somers, who was 75, was a resident at McKenzie Town Care Centre and died a month ago.
It’s the same place where 73-year-old Violet MacDonald lived before she died in October from blood poisoning caused by untreated bed sores.
Dean Somers says his mother developed a severe urinary infection and leg sores because her diaper was not changed frequently enough.
Revera, the owner of the owner of McKenzie Town Care Centre and 14 other seniors homes in Alberta, apologized “for failing to meet their expectations.”
CEO Jeffrey C. Lozon says geriatric expert Dr. Paul Katz has been hired to investigate the care center to identify any problems and have them quickly fixed.
“When you sit in soiled diapers and your footwear, shoes, socks are so badly stained that the laundry can no longer get them cleaned, you know there’s a problem,” said Somers.
Tiffany Gibbons, whose grandmother lives in McKenzie Care Centre, said the centre is understaffed.
“There are 20 patients per unit and there is one nurse and there are two nurses aides, so that’s a lot of people they’re trying to look after,” she said.
Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne said the government has sent an onsite monitoring team to the care centres.
“We’re also doing what’s called a care audit, which is an audit by health care professionals where they look at the treatment plans for residents — looking in particular how wound care is handled,” said Horne.