Long-term care resident had wound infested with maggots

A Thunder Bay woman is speaking out about a disturbing incident that happened in a local nursing home two years ago.

In September 2011, Eileen Laplante's mother, Bertha Lawrence, was100 years old and living at Lakehead Manor.

That month, aMinistry of Health and Long-Term Care inspector called Laplante with a question that remains seared in her memory.

"[She asked], was I aware that my mother had an open wound on her leg that had maggots in it?" Laplanterecalled. "I was horrified."

According to a Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care inspection report, Lakehead Manor not onlydidn't informLaplante that the gruesome discovery had been made on August 15; there was also no documentation of how long the wound had been there.

The ministry report said "Bertha Lawrence's right leg wound was documented as 'grey oozing drainage noted, dressing covered with non-adherent dressing ... Rancid odour. On closer inspection, writer noticed maggots under dressing.'"

The report also said a review of treatment records showed that required dressing changes were not completed on 17 separate occasions between August 20 and September 7, 2011.

"I'd never in my life heard anything that horrifying," Laplante told CBC News. "That there could be that kind of neglect."

The inspector cited LakeheadManor for neglect under the Ontario's Long-Term Care Homes Act, and issued a compliance order to ensureproper skin and wound care.

'No question we should have done better'

In an email response to CBC's inquiries on Thursday, a health ministry spokesperson confirmed that the home passed a follow-up inspection in November 2011.

Laplante said she visited her mother regularly, but never saw the wound because Lawrence was clothed.

When she learned what had happened, she told a Lakehead Manoradministrator that she wanted her mother moved to another home.

That never happened and Lawrence died soon after. Laplantebelieves her mothernever realized the wound was there, or that maggots had set in.

But she isstill haunted by guilt.

"I feel like I didn't do as much as I should have," Laplantesaid. "And I was there. I was there every day."

Lakehead Manor is operated by Revera Long-Term Care.

In an email to CBC News on Thursday, Revera spokesperson Sandra VlaarIngram said the incident was "completely unacceptable, and the Ministry's report clearly demonstrates that Lakehead did not meet our quality standards in this case. There is no question we should have done better, and we sincerely apologize to the family."

VlaarIngram noted that since 2011, the company has replaced the leadership at Lakehead Manor and increased the skin and wound care expertise in the facility.

Laplante said she decided to go public with her late mother's story when she heard CBC's recent series on long-term care in Thunder Bay.

"Whoever is running these facilities has to be told that they have to do it properly," she said. "They can't be allowed to treat our elderly people like this.It's just wrong."