On March 26, 2024, John Ford—a 64-year-old farmer from Drayton, Ontario—was found slumped down in bed and unresponsive. This tragic sequel came after a nurse of SE Health not following the proper protocol during a home visit scheduled. As a result of police involvement in the incident, Haas concluded Ford’s death required an inquest. His surviving sibling Bonnie Ford wonders if it was avoidable. This event has highlighted the abysmal standards of care offered by home health agencies.
In a reply letter dated February 27, 2024, Bonnie Ford was offered “sincere condolences” from SE Health about her brother’s passing. However, she is dissatisfied with the agency’s response and has since filed complaints with Ontario’s patient ombudsman and the College of Nurses of Ontario. An investigation into her complaints is underway.
Circumstances Surrounding the Incident
As it turned out, John Ford had been getting biweekly visits from a nurse to change the man’s wound dressing. On March 25, the day before his body was found, the home visiting nurse came by. It was an overwhelming sense of panic, Bonnie Ford said, by the time she called her brother back. The TV was on loud, but he wouldn’t pick up the phone.
“Part of me thought, ‘Maybe he missed the nurse, maybe he went somewhere without telling me, maybe he forgot to turn off the TV.’ But I knew — he’s always there for the nurse. He would pick up the phone. He never left his TV on,” – Bonnie Ford
Once Bonnie figured out that something was wrong, she reached out to the police to do a welfare check on her brother. When law enforcement showed up, they found John Ford dead in his bed.
Response from SE Health
SE Health shared this statement with CBC News. In a rare public admission, the company agreed that the nurse looking after John Ford did not adhere to standard procedures. Farah Ismail, vice-president of SE Health, reminded the audience that the staff member was a recent addition to the roster. They didn’t call and raise hell when the planned house visit was missed.
“The staff member that was providing care to your brother did not follow our established process,” – Farah Ismail, SE Health vice-president
Ismail clearly communicated the gravity of the omission. To this day no one knows if adherence to protocol would have prevented the tragic death of John Ford.
Family’s Frustration Over Lack of Communication
Bonnie Ford joined our panel to share her frustration about a nursing agency’s failure to communicate about her brother’s care. She has been persistent enough to have had an Ontario Health at Home/SE Health meeting to explain the policies and procedures. Unfortunately, she has not gotten much help from the Feds.
“I’ve been asking Ontario Health at Home and SE Health to have a sit-down conversation to explain their policies and their procedures. It’s been almost two years. It’s just unacceptable,” – Bonnie Ford
She continued to say that had she been informed about her brother’s missed appointment, she would have traveled to visit him immediately.
“I would have gladly gone over on the 25th if she’d [the nurse] called me to tell me she can’t find him,” – Bonnie Ford
