mandryk: son exposes his father's horrific care at pioneer village
'it makes 'one flew over the cuckoo's nest' look like a cruise ship.' — jeff nachtigall, describing pioneer village.
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helmut nachtigall was over-medicated in pioneer village, says his son jeff. (photo: courtesy of jeff nachtigall)
the beginning of the end for 86-year-old helmut nachtigall’s time at regina’s pioneer village came when his son jeff demanded that his father no longer be “snowed.” the crude slang term — used in the long-term care industry to refer to deliberately over-medicating seemingly troublesome clients in dementia wards — wasn’t one jeff nachtigall heard at pioneer village.
there were caregivers on the dementia ward like “maxine,” whom jeff nachtigall called “an angel” who should be instructing others on providing care in difficult circumstances. nevertheless, he said “snowing” was commonly used on his father while he was in the dementia ward at the crowded and aging regina facility.
“there was a lot of physical restraining,” nachtigall earlier told reporters at the legislature on tuesday. “there was a lot of chemical restraint.”
helmut nachtigall’s toes were broken in pioneer village and had to to be taken to an emergency ward. (photo: courtesy of jeff nachtigall)
nachtigall pleaded with staff to cease the use of restraints and sedations — the former only causing agitation for his former lutheran minister father, and the latter turning him a “zombie” — but it didn’t stop.
“we saw dad go (into the facility as) someone who could read, who could write, who could carry on a conversation,” nachtigall said. “one month later, he was slumped over, in a chair, drooling … after his toes were broken, that was the end of that story. it was time to pull him out and send him elsewhere.”
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exactly how his toes were broken at pioneer village was never quite explained when staff called jeff nachtigall to take his addled father to a hospital emergency ward. it is believed his feet were run over by a wheelchair.
losing sleep over his father’s care and such incidents, jeff nachtigall moved helmut and his wife (who had remained in their assisted living seniors’ facility) into a level three private facility.
the price is a steep one —$10,000 a month for both parents in private care.
it’s a hardship that has forced nachtigall to give up a career as a reasonably renowned artist in montreal for a more financially lucrative role as a ball mine reline technician who now travels to hard rock mines all over north america for work.
jeff nachtigall has become a miner and put on hold his career as a a painter to pay for better private care for his parents. (photo courtesy of jeff nachtigall)
the benefit is that instead of sitting catatonically in his chair or being afraid to walk past a room with a violent resident, helmut nachtigall is reading and singing in the private facility.
“it’s not hyperbolic for me to state this has been a nightmare,” his son said. “i had no idea, our family had no idea, the level of crisis our long-term care is in.
“if this not addressed immediately, this crisis is going to be a catastrophe. you’ll see a collapse. it is not going to get better on its own. the government needs to step in.”
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the nachtigall story was raised by the ndp on the last day of the fall sitting, when the saskatoon churchill-wildwood mla scolded the saskatchewan party government for doing nothing to “prepare for an aging population.”
saskatchewan’s senior population increased to 17.5 per cent in the 2021 canadian census, compared with 15.5 per cent in the 2016 census.
this growth has been happening everywhere for 40 years. canada’s senior population increased from two million in 1977 to 3.5 million in 1997 to 6.2 million in 2017. by 2037, seniors are expected to number 10.4 million.
that said, gone are the days of a decade ago, when the sask. party government’s former heath minister dustin duncan insisted health district ceos tour every seniors’ home in the province and publicly report complaints.
jeff nachtigall, who met with seniors minister lori carr on tuesday and was scheduled to again meet with her on friday, said he isn’t interested in assigning blame, but he is going to make it his mission to change things.
helmut nachtigall is thriving in private care after being removed from pioneer village (photo: courtesy of jeff nachtigall).
“it’s a horrible thing to say because i love this province, but don’t get sick here,” nachtigall said. “don’t get old here unless you have a lot of money.
“it makes ‘one flew over the cuckoo’s nest’ look like a cruise ship.”
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mandryk is the political columnist for the regina leader-post and the saskatoon starphoenix.
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