CapitalCare Dickinsfield

Jean Miskew May 11, 1924 – November 28, 2025nnMy mother Jean Miskew entered Edmonton Dickensfield Capital Care in February 2021. She was 97 years old.nBecause I live on Vancouver Island, I only came twice a year for a total of 4 weeks.nI hired a companion for Mom who would come 6 hours a week and keep Mom company and advocate for Mom.nMom was in a wheelchair, legally blind and had dementia.nnBladder Infection: In July of 2023 she was complaining about abdominal pain. Nurses and staff kept loosening her under clothes but to no avail Her companion kept pointing this out to the staff. They kept loosening the garments even more. She kept complaining with increased intensity. I arrived two months later, around the middle of September. I was given the opportunity to talk to the doctor in charge. I said to the doctor, “ Look, she is grimacing with pain.” He said, “Sometimes the patients make it up.” I said, “She is not making it up.”nHe said he would request a UTI test. It was discovered that she had an infection and was given antibiotics for two weeks after which she recovered her composure.nLater I discovered when talking to the head administrator of Dickensfield, that the doctor has to oversee patients from several care homes as well as psychiatric wards. What a heavy load for him to carry and do his job properly.nI also wonder if I had not arrived when I did, “ How much longer would my mother have suffered?”nnThursday, November 20, 2025 , 8 days before Mom died: The paid companion came on a Thursday to visit Jean after lunch. Jean was sitting by the nurse’s desk holding a glass of orange juice to her lips but unable to sip it. She ended up spilling it over herself. Staff were around, oblivious to Mom’s situation.nShe also had not been fed lunch because she had trouble swallowing and it took a lot of patience to feed her.nAlso, her bed had not been cleaned for a long time.nThe supervisor skipped Mom’s bath that day and said that I had given her permission to do that. I never gave that permission and was not notified.nThis is just one day in my mother’s life.nShe was difficult and needed extra care but there was not enough staff to spend time with her, feed her and keep her clean.nnFriday, November 28th,2025, the day my mother passed away.nAs my mother was dying, she was given tubes to keep her from dehydrating. She kept pulling them out. No other attempt was made to keep her hydrated, or even put a wet cloth on her lips.nA hired member from Comfort Keepers was holding her hand. Another lady arrived to keep my mother company. The nurses did not recognize her. They made her feel unwelcome and so she left.nI was notified that my mother had passed away by phone by the supervisor of Dickensfield 3B. As soon as the notification was received, I received another phone call from a nurse asking that I have my mother’s body removed by 4pm because it was the weekend and the Funeral Home may not be open. I checked the website of the funeral Parlor, and it is open 24/7. I asked them to wait until 4pm so that I could come and pray over Mom’s body and they allowed me to.nnIn retrospect, I learned many things about end-of-life care. The ideal situation would have been for me to be there 7 days a week. I was hoping having a paid companion/advocate would make up for that. She did a marvelous job. I am very grateful to her.nnI am writing this letter in the hopes that the experience of end of life for other patients are not similar because of the shortage of staff and the unwillingness/fatigue of those there to give the extra help.nnVivian Hornby

My Mother was a Resident here and passed in 2010. We were so pleased with her care, that a few years later, my Father opted to become a Resident as well. He passed on Dec 1st, 2023. He had great care in 2A, and loved being a part of this unit. If we ever had a Question or Concern, the Manager Divya was EXCELLENT...a huge blessing and always right on it!! Dad also loved his Physio Team, his Recreational Team Penny, his Nurses RN, Dining Room Team & even the Cleaning Staff!! And I cannot forget Jennifer at the 2A/2B desk who helped us countless times!! I would definately recommend this Care Centre for your loved ones!!

My grandma Millie is turning 98 tomorrow and has been living at Dickinsfield for nearly 2 years. From what I have seen, staff are doing everything they can to make the residents comfortable, which can't be easy given the pandemic. My grandma is always very pleased with the meals they offer and is happy with the size of her shared room. Sure, her bed could be more comfortable, but I'm not sure how to make a hospital bed more comfy. I am so grateful that the staff really seem to care for the residents on my grandma's unit 2B.

I was so impressed with Tricia, the nurse assistant. She gave such thorough, detailed care, and treated my cousin who is a new resident there, with such respect. As an RN myself, I know great care, and Tricia was simply wonderful. If I could steal her back to Vegas with me, I would. She deserves a bonus! Grateful!

The CHOICE Day program provides exceptional comprehensive care - from Dr to RN, PT, OT, Pharm, Social Worker and every other health provider that first provided care to my dad 7 years ago and now to my mom. They work as a cohesive team, really caring for the best outcome of their patients. I highly recommend it for seniors who want to continue living in their home but want all inclusive care. Definitely 5 star worthy!

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