A Nova Scotia family is alleging abuse at a nursing home. They say 56-year-old George Casey ended up in diapers and confined to a wheelchair within days of going into the facility.
Casey has been diagnosed with early onset dementia and more recently Alzheimer’sdisease. Last month he went into The Mira, a long-term care home in Truro.
His mother says less than a week after arriving at the facility, her son's body was bruised, his medication was changed, he was tied to a wheelchair and he was wearing a diaper.
“My son and I went in one day and we thought he was dead,” says Janet Casey. “We shook him and hollered, and hollered to him, and the nurses all came running.”
George's two sisters both work in a different nursing home, and they say they’re appalled by the treatment their brother received.
“He went in there walking, full of life. He basically could eat, do anything on his own,” says Kathy Dykeman. “Five days later, he is in a wheelchair and diapers can't even feed himself, bathe himself, can't barely hold a glass of water to take a drink.”
The family demanded 24-hour supervision for him, until they could find a new nursing home.
Janet Casey says she wants better nursing home protections in place- not only for her son, but for others as well.
“The government needs to step in and make sure there is more done in those homes where people put their loved ones, because they don't check,”she says.
The family wants the Department of Health to investigate The Mira. Government officials confirm they've received a complaint and are now trying to determine whether there is enough evidence to move forward with an investigation.
On Tuesday, CTV News spoke to administrator at The Mira as well as the home's operator, GEM Health Care. They say they have a least restraint policy, that the safety of staff and residents is paramount, and the facility is licensed by the Department of Health and subject to inspections.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kelland Sundahl
