The caretaker convicted for her part in the starvation death of Florence Girard says she wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have gone into home care had she known how little support would be given to her.
Astrid Dahl also criticized the homecare organization she worked for when Girard, who had Down syndrome, starved to death in her care in 2018, telling a coronerB次元官网网址檚 inquest that Kinsight Community Society put B次元官网网址減aperwork before peopleB次元官网网址� and provided little support for things such as prescribed pain medication or health expertise.
Girard weighed about 50 pounds when she died, and Dahl was convicted in 2022 for failing to provide the necessaries of life for the woman.
Dahl testified that she had to reduce the frequency of pain medication and switch to a cheaper, less potent painkiller, partially because Kinsight didnB次元官网网址檛 pay for the prescribed medicine.
A lawyer representing Kinsight, which oversaw the home-sharing service under a contract with provincial Crown corporation Community Living BC, asked Dahl why she had filed in a written report saying the B次元官网网址渕edication will continue to be given as prescribedB次元官网网址� despite the switch to a less potent painkiller at a lower frequency.
Dahl said she didnB次元官网网址檛 take the written reports for Kinsight very seriously since B次元官网网址渘o oneB次元官网网址檚 reading them,B次元官网网址� while also saying throughout her testimony that she did not remember a number of files brought up by the lawyer about GirardB次元官网网址檚 condition and care plan.
When asked by a lawyer for GirardB次元官网网址檚 family what she would do differently, given the outcome, Dahl said she would B次元官网网址渘ot do home share.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淎dvise anyone not to do home share,B次元官网网址� she said.
Dahl said the stronger drugs she had been giving to Girard werenB次元官网网址檛 as effective and contributed to her decision to switch the medication, despite Girard experiencing constant pain as she got older.
B次元官网网址淲ith Flo, I was so zoomed in on Flo that I didnB次元官网网址檛 zoom out and take a look at the big picture,B次元官网网址� she testified. B次元官网网址淪o, thatB次元官网网址檚 on me. But because I wasnB次元官网网址檛 getting any sort of support from who I was expecting support from B次元官网网址� I just took all the decisions on myself.B次元官网网址�
Dahl also told the inquest that Kinsight gave no nutritionist support when Girard began losing weight, so she instead consulted her mother, a former nurse.
Girard was living with Dahl as part of a program for people with developmental disabilities.
A coronerB次元官网网址檚 inquest does not assign fault or blame and the jury is given the goal of fact-finding. The inquest has been scheduled through to Jan. 22.
