A man is speaking up following the discovery of his 88-year-old grandmother’s lifeless body outside a seniors’ facility in Laval, Quebec, early on Monday.
Authorities in Laval were alerted to the incident at 25 Promenade des Îles in the Chomedey area at 6:50 a.m.
Jeanne Gohier was pronounced dead outside the Villagia de l’Île Paton residence. Officials mentioned that the circumstances leading to her death are yet to be determined.
Marc-Olivier Naud, the grandson of the deceased, expressed his disbelief on Monday, stating that it was incomprehensible that Gohier managed to leave the seniors’ facility without supervision, given the family’s monthly payments of $4,000 to $5,000 for her care.
“She succumbed to the cold,” Naud mentioned, highlighting that his grandmother suffered from a condition akin to dementia. “Just think about that. It defies all logic.”
Naud mentioned that Gohier resided on the second floor of the seniors’ facility. He recalled that the last instance she left the premises unsupervised was during the summer, in the wee hours of the night.
The facility is described as an upscale residence with a total of 281 units, comprising 42 units designated for assisted living and 239 for independent residents.
The family learned about Gohier’s passing after Naud’s sibling came across an article reporting the death of an 88-year-old woman at the facility, Naud disclosed.
“I find it hard to believe that such negligence is tolerated here,” he remarked.
The Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de Laval, the regional health authority overseeing the seniors’ facility, extended its sympathies to the family in a statement on Monday.
Describing the incident as “tragic,” the authority assured it is treating the matter seriously but refrained from providing further details out of respect for the deceased, her family, and the ongoing inquiry.
On Tuesday evening, the seniors’ facility issued a statement indicating that an internal investigation into the incident is underway, in collaboration with Laval law enforcement.
“Our hearts go out to the family during this extremely challenging period,” stated Michel Savoie, the regional operations director for the Villagia de L’Île Paton. “We are implementing all necessary measures to ensure the safety and welfare of our residents and staff.”
A spokesperson confirmed that the case has been handed over to the coroner’s office.
As per Environment Canada, the temperature in Laval was -18°C at 7 a.m.
- <a class="cardWrapper-u5T0r cardWrapper-_487P noPaddingCardWrapper" data-feature-instance="similar-link" data-feature-name="link" data-contentid="1.7457107" aria-hidden="false" data-cy="type-link" href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/senior-found-outside-chsld-h