Murder Suicide and Older PeopleWhat One Case Tells Us

The recent murder of an 80 year old woman by her 77 year old husband in Penticton raises some ongoing concerns about care planning, our care system in British Columbia, and probably more issues.

Briefly, they were a socially isolated couple with no family, or none in the area. He had recently been in hospital, then she was, and then it somehow got decided that she was not able to go home because he could not care for her anymore. She needed extended care, he had to look for assisted living. Soon after this plan was made, it appears, he came into the hospital and the rest....

So if you look at it, and I know hindsight is easy, you know these two people were at risk: declining health and social isolation. The risk was compounded by the upcoming separation: separation anxiety and disruption of minimal social system.

Our system did not allow for this couple to occupy two beds at the care level which the wife needed. Did he receive any counselling? Our hospital's have cut back Social Work positions enormously--these were the ones generally charged with the provision of social and emotional support, and helping people through process and transitions. The tasks have been turned over to discharge planning teams, most of which are apparently nurses. Discharge planning does not do counselling. They are more like processing for optimizing bed utilization. Psychosocial support has fallen by the wayside; the Social Workers who are left do not have time to do it.

Hospitals and health units need to address people as part of family units, and the treatments, policies, and procedures need to be geared to making a shift so that they are able to do this.

Would this have stopped the murder and suicide? Maybe not. But it sure would provide better care.