SENIOR LODGES

My late wife Shirley and I lived in a senior lodge for six months.

To start with they took almost all of our income. Living in the lodge turned out to be a nightmare for Shirley.

I made several suggestions to address the social, emotional, and recreational needs of Shirley, and others like her, who suffered from Alzheimer's and dementia, but sadly none were ever implemented. I believe this caused her to have a nervous breakdown, which resulted in her spending 2 months in hospital at the taxpayer's expense. The money would have been far better spent addressing her needs, and the others like her. It is also my belief that black mold located in the under carpet and flooring in our apartment may have caused her premature death due to the complications arising from the bacterial pneumonia Shirley contracted at the lodge. There had been a major flood in our apartment before we moved into the apartment due to a rupture of the hot water heating radiator in our apartment. Rather than removing the carpet and carpet underlay to dry them out, they simply used fans to dry out the carpet, leaving the carpet underlay, the underside of the carpet and the wooden floor soaking wet, causing black mold to form under the carpet. The lodge was unsafe in 2013, and still was unsafe in 2023. The sidewalks, parking lot, steps, and ramps were, and still are, covered with glare ice after every Chinook. Below is a sampling of pictures I have taken of the extremely dangerous conditions at Chinook Winds Lodge starting in November 2013 until Jan. 15, 2023.

The east emergency fire exit was blocked with snow for the entire month of December, 2013. If there had been a fire in the kitchen area of the lodge all us residents on the east end of the lodge would not have been able to escape the fire, and the firemen would not have been able to get to us except through a window.

On November 30, 2013, I fell on the glare ice outside this southwest emergency exit door because the eaves trough was leaking. Luckily I did not break any limbs or have a serious brain injury, however I did have to sleep upright in a chair rather than my bed for three days after my fall. It should be noted that the eaves trough was still leaking as of Jan. 15, 2023. It should be noted that when the snow melts on the roof above the fire exit door during a Chinook, a patch of glare ice always forms outside the fire exit door.

The picture below taken on Feb. 28, 2020 shows that there was a ten foot wide patch of glare ice on the street along the entire length of lodge. It should be noted there were patches of glare ice on the sidewalk as well. The day I took this picture a good friend of mine fell on the glare ice. Luckily she was not seriously injured, however she could have had a very serious brain injury, a broken back, or a limb injury. As she was a senior any one of these injuries could have lead to her death. If a leaf blower had have been used to taper the snow back from the sidewalk the melting snow on the lawn would have simply soaked into the lawn.

The picture above taken on Nov. 27, 2020 shows the snow covered east emergency exit ramp.

The above picture taken on January 3, 2021 is of the east energency fire exit stairs. I noticed that the ramp was covered with snow and ice as well.

The above picture was taken Jan. 15 2023. It shows that the eaves trough above the door was still leaking. This is the same location I fell at on November 30, 2013.

The above picture was taken on Jan. 15, 2023. It is a picture of snow piled up at the west end of the parking lot. Every time there is a chinook it melts resulting in the parking lot being covered with glare ice.

The above picture shows the parking lot and alley covered with glare ice as a result of the snow pile at the west end of the parking lot melting.

The above picture taken on Jan. 15, 2023 shows glare ice on the front sidewalk.

On Feb. 20, 2015 I sent a letter to the Standards Compliance and Licensing Department of Alberta Health sending five computor discs with pictures of unsafe entrances, emergency exits, sidewalks, ramps, and the parking lot dating from Dec. 10, 2013 to Jan. 7, 2015 of the Chinook Winds Lodge in Carstairs, Alberta. I received a letter dated Mar. 11, 2016 from Pamela Renwick, Acting Director of Compliance and Monotoring stating: "The inspector observed the accomodation to be in good repair, with no concerns for the state of the interior and exterior of the building, including the eaves troughs." She also said: " Licensing Inspectors from the Compliance and Monoring Branch will continue to visit the site on a minimally annual basis to unsure that the Accomodation Standards are met." How is that possible, as the above pictures show that the entrances, emergency exits, ramps, and parking lot were still unsafe as of Jan. 15, 2023. When is the minister of Seniors and Housing for the province of Alberta going to see that the safety regulations are being enforced ?