Investigation finds Amherst group home failed to provide adequate care

Failure to provide care at N.S. group home A government investigation prompted by abuse complaints has found a failure to provide adequate care at a group home in Amherst.

A government investigation prompted by allegations of emotional abuse at a group home in Amherst, N.S. has found that the facility failed to provide adequate care.

Eileen MacDonald’s daughter Amanda Sheehan lives with autism and can’t speak. A few months after Sheehan moved into the group home, MacDonald complained to the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services that her daughter was kept in her room for seven days to keep her from acting out.

Government investigators determined the allegation of emotional abuse was unfounded, but they did find the administrator failed to provide adequate care.

They also discovered a new concern with Sheehan’s case; the report states the director of the facility changed her medication without consulting a physician.

Sheehan no longer lives at the facility and MacDonald says she gets frustrated every time she reads the report, and she has read it many times.

“I am not satisfied with it. Everybody did wrong but nobody is getting punished for it,” she says.

The home has been ordered to follow a dozen directives, which include the administrator completing leadership development and effectiveness training and the administrator ensuring all staff and management renew their medication awareness training by a pharmacist.

All staff and management have also been ordered to receive protection for persons in care training to gain better understanding of effective programming and care with people with autism.

“There are things that happen over time that happen and the thing that we do, and we do best I think is being able to address them and ensure individuals are receiving the best possible care and are safe and secure in these settings,” says Joe Rudderham, the executive director of Nova Scotia Disability Supports.

Brenda Hardiman, who represents a parents’ advocacy group, says the findings highlight the need for better government supervision.

“I think it’s a matter of accountability of these homes,” says Hardiman, of Advocating Parents of Nova Scotia. “The Department of Community Services needs to inspect and ensure that the vulnerable groups that they are placing there are being cared for.”

Officials with the home must now address the concerns outlined in the report, with government investigators wanting to hear how they plan to make improvements and follow through on all 12 directives.

The government also confirms that additional allegations and issues have been raised so officials are now investigating a new complaint against staff at the home.

Meanwhile, the facility’s board of directors confirms the administrator has been suspended with pay.

Officials with the home declined to comment on the matter.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kelland Sundahl