Family of man who died 13 days after moving into Saskatoon long-term care facility calls for changes

Alexander Quon · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 26, 2025 9:47 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

A household says the semipermanent attraction strategy successful Saskatchewan needs to beryllium overhauled, aft their begetter died little than two weeks after moving into a facility.

Donna Fiddler and Colleen Lukan say they hoped the determination to determination their parents, Erwin and Margaret Lukan, into a attraction location would supply them with the attraction they needed for Erwin's urinary tract infection and Margaret's dementia. 

Instead, after moving the brace into the Saskatoon attraction home, Erwin's health swiftly deteriorated, they say. 

Despite Erwin having a catheter, his household said unit astatine the installation seemed unaware of his condition. No 1 assisted with its attraction for much than 10 days. 

As they attempted to rise concerns, the household says they were brushed aside. Just 13 days aft being admitted, connected Aug. 6, 2023, Erwin died. He was 91.

Donna Fiddler and Colleen Lukan had thought the installation was a bully location. They didn't find retired until aft their father's decease that, according to provincial records, the Northern Lights Care Home had gone astir 4 years without an inspection. 

"You won't cognize until your parents are successful a attraction location what those workers are susceptible of doing oregon not doing," said Colleen.

On Wednesday, Fiddler and Colleen Lukan brought their concerns to the Saskatchewan Legislature. Erwin's decease was raised during question play and Fiddler and Lukan yet met with Lori Carr, Saskatchewan's curate liable for seniors.

Carr called it a "productive meeting." 

"I had the accidental to perceive their communicative and their travel that they went on, and it's perfectly thing that we're going to beryllium looking into," Carr said. 

The minister confirmed that semipermanent attraction facilities are expected to beryllium inspected erstwhile a year, oregon if the installation is successful bully lasting erstwhile each 2 years. 

Carr said the accusation presented to her showed that an inspection had occurred much precocious than shown in the province's online records.

It's not wide why the inspection is not shown online. Carr said she would effort to get much accusation connected that.

She besides pointed to the province's caller budget, which had much wealth to prosecute further inspectors, arsenic a imaginable solution to the issues raised by Erwin's family. 

The curate confirmed that she would beryllium looking for accusation earlier deciding what actions she would instrumentality next. Carr admitted the details provided by Erwin's household are disturbing.

"We privation each of our seniors to person the champion attraction they tin get erstwhile they determination connected to a nursing home. And truthful yeah, that does interest me," Carr said. 

Keith Jorgenson, the NDP professional for seniors, said the state has failed to transportation retired inspections successful a timely manner, and says determination should person been amended appraisal of Erwin's needs.

"You had a man whose needs were unknown erstwhile they entered a idiosyncratic attraction home. So we don't cognize whether oregon not that idiosyncratic attraction location was an due spot for him," Jorgenson said.