Dementia patient found dead had wandered from home before
A dementia patient who wandered away from an Orléans seniors' home and was later found dead had left the facility once before, according to an inspection report submitted after his death.
Jean Proulx, an 80-year-old resident of Moments Manor who suffered from dementia and diabetes, disappeared on the evening of July 5. His body was found four days later in the woods behind the St. Joseph Boulevard home.
According to a report by the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA), which carried out a mandatory inspection two days after Proulx disappeared, he had "eloped on a previous occasion during a power outage."
Moments Manor, which claimed to specialize in memory care, has since changed its name to Forest Valley Terrace, and is operated by Symphony Senior Living.
Proulx known to be 'exit-seeking'
According to the report, Proulx had a history of being a flight risk.
"Several people including staff have identified the resident as exit-seeking on a regular basis," the report noted.
"The resident's plan of care was not updated to identify this and provide clear direction to staff, nor was consistent monitoring for safety and well-being conducted."
The home was found to be non-compliant with the Retirement Homes Act in four areas, including ensuring staff "do not neglect residents," and monitor their safety and well-being.
The RHRA ordered the home to take "corrective action to achieve compliance" in each of the four areas.
Connie McIntosh, interim executive director at Forest Valley Terrace, said the home is now in compliance with the order, but couldn't clarify what changes have been made without first speaking with the home's Florida-based parent company.
28 inspections since 2013
According to the RHRA, the home has been visited 28 times by provincial inspectors since it opened in November 2013.
Under the Retirement Homes Act, the RHRA is mandated to inspect homes at least once every three years, but may conduct inspections more frequently if it suspects residents' safety could be at risk.
Inspections of Moments Manor documented instances where residents fell, were found soaked in urine and were not properly monitored.
Since November 2013, the home has received three compliance orders, including one requiring third-party training for staff.
The home was also fined twice by the regulatory agency, which has the power to revoke a home's licence.
Moments Manor underwent another inspection on July 26, three weeks after Proulx's death.
"The home's records showed that staff had not consistently documented that they had conducted hourly checks for a resident who required care," according to that inspection report.
