Allegations of neglect, ‘dismal’ sanitary conditions at LaSalle Hospital

Donna Mehlenbacher has been in rehabilitation at the LaSalle Hospital in Montreal’s LaSalle borough for more than two weeks, following knee replacement surgery.

She says most of the staff treat her well; she knows first-hand what standard care should be.

“I did this for a living, back in the early ’80s in nursing,” she told Global News.

But the 83-year-old said she’s shocked at the level of care she’s now receiving in the rehab ward at the hospital.

“It’s just disgusting that we are put in this situation, and we shouldn’t have to be,” she said.

Mehlenbacher is one of several patients and employees in that ward who spoke to Global News about what they say are dismal sanitary conditions, poor treatment and patient neglect.

Mehlenbacher said she’s been left in soiled diapers multiple times — once for nearly 20 hours, until her daughter found her soaked in urine.

“She was saturated,” said her daughter, Robin Mehlenbacher. “Everything was saturated — the bed, her, everything. Staff had to change the entire bed, then they had to wait for the mattress to dry.”

Furthermore, according to the daughter, her mom was stuck with one employee who refuses to speak English to her.

Jocelyne Brisebois, whose room isn’t far from Mehlenbacher’s, said she was also disgusted to discover such conditions in a hospital.

“It’s dirty like hell,” the 77-year-old said. “They came to clean my room this morning after 16 days. The toilet had never been washed. Sixteen days!”

On a visit to the ward, Global News observed dirty floors, trash under beds, overflowing garbage cans and mouse traps in one of the common areas of the rehab ward.

“You see mice running around in the rooms and the hallways,” said Chico Levy, a patient who has been there for three months. “I’m not the only one that’s seen them. A few people have seen them and complained.”

One employee, who fears losing their job if identified, backs up Levy’s claims with their own observations.

“There’s mice that you can literally see running from room to room in patients’ rooms,” the employee said. “You can hear them scurrying in the ceiling.”

According to the worker, food is often left out for days in patients’ rooms, the place is rarely cleaned and patients are often neglected and ignored.

“I’ve gone to the rooms and found patients covered in feces from their own underwear, and found patients and beds soaked in urine,” they said.

“I always think of previous places that I’ve worked at, and it was nothing like this.”

They fear that patients are put at risk, claiming that some have been injured, including one who was recovering from a broken hip.

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“She had fallen because there was nobody there to help her go to the bathroom, and broke her other hip,” said the worker, who blames a critical staff shortage, poor management and low morale for the alleged problems.

“Nobody seems to want to help or do their jobs properly.”

Brisebois agrees.

“Believe me, I would never, never, never send somebody here. That’s the way I feel. I will never recommend that.”

The patients and the employee said they have all complained to different people at the hospital, but nothing has changed.

The allegations disturb medical malpractice lawyer Patrick Martin-Ménard, who said he has seen similar conditions in other health-care institutions.

“These facilities oftentimes have vulnerable people who have weakened immune systems, and this creates the perfect climate for hospital-borne infections,” he said.

One patients’ rights advocate worries the problems extend beyond the rehab ward.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s not looking good,” said Paul Brunet, president and CEO of Quebec Council for Patients’ Rights. “When hospitals start having such a low quality of maintenance in the premises, one can suspect that the whole hospital is not well maintained as it should be.”

The Montreal West Island CIUSSS, the body overseeing the hospital, told Global News in a statement that all reports are taken seriously and that “as soon as a situation is brought to our attention, prompt investigations and follow-ups are conducted. If necessary, corrective measures are implemented, and the staff involved are met individually.”

“In addition, room cleaning has been enhanced to ensure it meets the highest standards of quality and sanitation.

“We encourage patients and their loved ones to inform the unit head of any dissatisfaction so that follow-ups can be made quickly.”

When asked for comment, Santé Québec, the provincial agency responsible for coordinating operations in Quebec’s health and social services network, referred to the statement issued by the West Island CIUSSS.

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé was unavailable to comment, but a spokesperson described the allegations as very worrying.