Alberta government sues non-profit that moved clients into hotel rooms
A registered non-profit housing provider that moved vulnerable clients into hotel rooms last year is being sued by the Alberta government.
CBC News reported last March that a stroke patient who thought he was being discharged from hospital into a long-term care facility instead ended up in a hotel under the care of Contentment Social Services.
The patient relied on a wheelchair and had spent about six months in Edmonton hospital. The 62-year-old said he was told that he would be moving to a long-term care facility and was not given any other options.
He had high care needs because he was paralyzed on his left side, and he said the hotel room wasn’t properly equipped for his accessibility needs.
A second family that spoke to CBC shared a similar story.
Later that same month, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Contentment Social Services was “not up to the task” of caring for vulnerable patients. The province stepped in to cover some of the outstanding hotel costs.
The Alberta government is seeking roughly $140,000 in losses and damages, according to a statement of claim filed in November.
The statement of claim seeks $49,920 from Contentment Social Services to cover the bill for rooms at the Park Inn by Radisson in Leduc, Alta., where the government said clients were moved while Contentment’s regular accommodations were being fumigated.
Contentment Social Services failed to pay the Radisson $32,810.40 for additional costs and damages, the statement of claim alleges.
The province is also seeking $14,569 to cover the cost of client meals retained by the province from Meals on Wheels and a further $42,908 in rent arrears at another apartment building.
None of the allegations have been proven in court. As of Feb. 4 no statement of defence has been filed.
The Alberta government says it is stepping in to find housing for people under the care of Contentment Social Services after some being discharged from hospital were sent to hotels.
Police investigating
Sherene Khaw, a spokesperson for Alberta’s community, seniors and social services minister Jason Nixon, said the ministry was taking “all possible steps through civil litigation.”
Nixon was not made available for an interview.
Khaw said ministry staff have engaged a seniors’ protection team to meet with clients and assess allegations of financial abuse and inadequate client care.
She said a referral was made to the Edmonton Police Service to investigate “potential criminal activity.”
Cheryl Voordenhout, a police spokesperson, said police received a report of a fraud on Dec. 3. Members of the financial crimes section are currently investigating, she said.
CBC News was unable to reach the president of Contentment Social Services despite multiple phone calls and emails.
Kaycee Madu, who is named in court documents as a lawyer for a director of Contentment Social Services, declined to comment, citing the ongoing legal matter.
Lawsuit sends a message, says expert
The government could be using the lawsuit as a deterrent for other providers, according to Lorian Hardcastle, a health law professor at the University of Calgary.
“This lawsuit sends the message to other agencies that if they are not providing the services that they say they’re providing or there are inadequacies in those services, that potentially they could face similar litigation,” Hardcastle said.
The statement of claim does not cover fees that were paid by clients to the housing agency, such as first month’s rent and a security deposit. One family told CBC News that they still have not received any money back from Contentment Social Services.
Many clients relied on the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped, which is provided by the province.
“It seems that the province’s primary goal here is not to collect money on behalf of the clients, but rather to recoup their own costs that they spent trying to fill the gaps in and get services for these people,” Hardcastle said.
“So I think it’s unfortunate for the people who may be out of pocket.”
Mark Cherrington with the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights said most Albertans would want vulnerable people to be treated with dignity.
“Most Albertans could care less, really, about the $140,000,” Cherrington said.
“There should have been some foresight, that there should have been a best practice approach instead of this…deal that ended up collapsing and hurting a bunch of human beings, vulnerable human beings.”
No update on accreditation standards
In October, Nixon said the government is developing accreditation standards for organizations that provide non-medical support.
Khaw did not answer specific questions about the status of that regulatory review on Tuesday.
Hardcastle said that it should not have come to this point and said more oversight is needed.
“Had they chosen to regulate, that might have prevented problems from arising in the first place,” Hardcastle said.
“I think it’s very fair for families to feel like there isn’t a sense of resolution because there’s nothing really about this lawsuit that feels like this problem won’t happen again in the future.”
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