THUNDER BAY - A resident at the Bethammi Nursing home has been charged following an altercation with a staff member at the residence earlier on the weekend.
The 63-year-old male resident was arrested and charged by the Thunder Bay Police Service with one count of assault and one count of assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm – choke, suffocate, strangle.
The incident took place at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Sunday Feb. 6, 2022. The staff member allegedly assaulted was working as a personal support worker at the home.
The accused made a brief court appearance via video from the Thunder Bay Police Service Balmoral police headquarters on Monday where he was ordered released with a condition to have no contact with the complainant.
Kelli O’Brien, president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Care Group, which owns and operates the Bethammi Nursing Home, said in a written statement that it will cooperate with any ongoing investigation, but she is not able to comment on any ongoing legal matters.
O'Brien added the safety and wellbeing of residents and staff is its top priority.
“All long-term care home staff receive a full day of training annually in a technique called the Gentle Persuasive Approach, which is a client-centred compassionate methodology to assess and respond respectfully to responsive behaviours (verbal and/or physical actions),” she said.
“For residents who experience responsive behaviours, Gentle Persuasive Approach is combined with a proactive plan of care that identifies a resident’s unique needs and potential triggers, as well as strategies to address responsive behaviours if they happen.”
According to O’Brien, St. Joseph’s Care Group takes a preventative approach to verbal or physical altercations but takes all incidents of violence seriously.
“St. Joseph’s Care Group investigates all incidents, supporting those affected to understand what happened, and put into place any precautions or changes wherever possible to avoid similar events from occurring in future,” O’Brien said.
A future court date for the accused has been scheduled for March.
