Staff at Beacon Hill Lodge told Winnipeg police that Fontaine lived on the fifth floor of the care home — a unit for people with mental health issues who are unable to care for themselves, according to a court document. (Justin Fraser/CBC)
A lawsuit has been filed by a family against the operators of a Winnipeg care home following the tragic death of a 63-year-old woman with dementia. The incident occurred when the woman became entangled in a privacy curtain and suffocated on her birthday.
Irene Fontaine, the victim, passed away on January 11, 2023, at the Beacon Hill Lodge care home where she resided. She was found trapped in a privacy curtain in an unoccupied room, which she had been led to by two nurses approximately an hour before her death, according to Winnipeg police detectives.
The police are investigating the two nurses for potential criminal negligence, as they allege that Fontaine was left unsupervised in a room with a faulty door, making it difficult for her to exit. This information was outlined in a court document, known as an order to obtain, where the police laid out their case and sought access to care home records.
The family's lawsuit, filed in the Manitoba Court of King's Bench on March 13, alleges negligence on the part of care home operators Revera and Extendicare in providing care for Fontaine. They are seeking $110,000 in damages, including funeral costs, interest, court costs, and any additional damages deemed appropriate by the court.
It is important to note that the claims made in the lawsuit have not yet been tested in court.
Extendicare, which now operates the Beacon Hill Lodge after acquiring Revera's care home business, stated in an email that Fontaine's death occurred before their management responsibility of the home began. Revera did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter.
According to the police investigation, Fontaine was taken to a room with a faulty door by two nurses on the morning of her death. The police allege that she was left unsupervised in the room for about 50 minutes, despite her medical chart indicating recent staff interactions.
While the medical chart suggested that Fontaine had been active shortly before her death, video footage from the care home contradicts this information, according to police. They suspect that care home staff falsified records to cover up their lack of action.
Fontaine, who resided in Room 502 at Beacon Hill Lodge, was found in Room 522 on the morning of her death. She was described as frail, weighing between 80 to 90 pounds, and five feet tall. Fontaine's common-law husband informed the police that she often played with curtains and wrapped herself in them, though it remains unclear if care home staff were aware of this behavior.
The lawsuit and police investigation shed light on the tragic circumstances surrounding Irene Fontaine's death and raise questions about the level of care provided by the care home operators and staff.
