Nursing home death investigated as homicide

The death of an elderly woman that the medical examiner has declared a homicide is being investigated by Halifax Regional Police and the RCMP Integrated Major Crime Unit.

Police said a 92-year-old woman died Saturday night at Shannex Arborstone Enhanced Care Nursing Home on Purcells Cove Road.

An autopsy conducted on Sunday concluded her death resulted from complications related to injuries received during an altercation with another elderly woman on Jan. 7 in the home's dementia unit.

The victim was sent to hospital after the fall, andreturned to the home 11 days later. She died Saturday.

"It was determined at that time the death was ruled a homicide because of injuries sustained in an incident at the home with another resident which contributed to her death," Halifax police Const. Brian Palmeter said Tuesday.

The company that owns the nursing home issued a statement Tuesday about the incident.

"Neither client had a history of aggressive behaviour towards each other or other clients," the statement said. "We investigated the incident fully at the time and determined that the cause of the fall was unpredictable and not something that staff could have prevented."

Nursing home practices fall under the Department of Health and Wellness.

The department is reviewing information about what it calls a "critical incident."

"If something like this occurs, which is not a usual occurrence, we will examine it very closely to learn what if anything we need to change in our own policy and procedures," Health Minister Maureen MacDonald said Tuesday.

Police said they'll have to decide if there's criminal responsibility, depending on the mental health of the resident.

"I can't go into specifics, but the two common themes that we see when we're dealing with criminal responsibility, is either a mental health type related situation or one where it's self-defence," Palmeter said.

"There are questions being raised at these very early stages of our investigation as to whether there is a criminal culpability and whether or not that exists in this case."