Missed visit ‘can be a life and death thing'

Winnipeg Free Press

5 days ago

The DAUGHTER of a woman living in a Winnipeg assisted-living facility is raising concerns after a mixup at home care's new centralized scheduling office nearly caused her mother to miss essential medication.
Koralee Nickarz, who lives in Vancouver but returns to Winnipeg every six weeks to visit her mother, 82-year-old Paulette Nickarz, said that had she not been in town last week, her mother would have missed critical nighttime medications. Her mother's regular bedtime worker didn't show up, and no replacement had been arranged.
Nickarz said she had to call home care's after-hours line to find out if a worker was still coming. She eventually learned that the scheduled aide had left to tend to a family emergency.
JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS
Koralee Nickarz, with her mother Paulette, is concerned centralized scheduling is putting her mom's life in danger.
'No one knew because the home-care worker could not get through to the scheduling office. And she didn't have the time to wait on hold.'
Nickarz said a customer service representative later told her that some aides had waited up to five hours on hold or for a callback that same day.
'Before moving to the centralized office, scheduling used to call me when they did not have a worker,' Nickarz said. 'Now, no worker shows up. Or they send someone at whatever time they can find someone for my mother's timed medication.'
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority centralized its home-care scheduling operations in late March, at a single location on Sutherland Avenue. The move was intended to address issues with communication, service inconsistency and workload.
In a Jan. 23 memo introducing the changes, the WRHA said the move was also prompted by a review following the 2023 death of cancer patient Katherine Ellis who died after being misclassified and denied timely care.
At the time, nurses described the rollout as rushed and chaotic, saying it disrupted care and overwhelmed staff. Some reported insulin-dependent clients had gone hours without medication, while others noted overlapping shifts or being dispatched to unfamiliar areas, causing further delays and cancellations.
Nickarz said health-care aides she's spoken to have described the new system as a 'shit show.' She fears the consequences of delayed care for her mother, who has Parkinson's and requires medication at strict intervals.
'She has to take her Levodopa… every four hours,' Nickarz said. 'If she doesn't get it on time, she has a really hard time walking. And if she gets up, it's likely that she will fall. If she gets her Levodopa less than four hours apart, it can cause nausea, dizziness and confusion, which makes it more likely she could fall.'
Her mother receives eight visits per day, including four for medication. Under the previous system, Nickarz said she would receive notice of care disruption a few days in advance. Now, she said, no one informs her if no one is coming — and staff at the assisted-living facility are not permitted to administer medications.
A WRHA spokesperson said last week that the centralized scheduling office continues to improve service for both clients and staff. They noted that the average wait time for staff calling the office is currently 9 minutes and 20 seconds.
Weekday Mornings
A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day.
'We recognize there are periods when wait times may be longer, and we remain committed to reducing them,' the spokesperson said.
They also pointed to recent changes, including new escalation pathways for urgent issues, a voicemail system for staff unable to work, and a pilot system to fill open shifts more efficiently.
'When changes to a client's schedule are necessary due to staffing, the scheduling office will reach out to the client or their primary contact to ensure they are informed and that backup care plans are in place,' the spokesperson said.
Nickarz remains skeptical. 'It can be a life and death thing, because we know what happens with seniors when they fall — they can die,' she said.
[e-mail]
Scott BilleckReporter
Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade's worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott.
Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.