Elderly woman found filthy and emaciated, court hears
By Tracy McLaughlin, Special to QMI Agency First posted: Thursday, October 09, 2014 07:51 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, October 10, 2014 07:38 PM EDT
Crying out in pain and asking for her “momma,” a 76-year-old woman was found emaciated and lying in urine, vomit and feces in a room where the window was spray-painted black, a court has heard.
“She was filthy ... She was crying, ‘Momma, momma, I want my momma,’” said emotional paramedic Steve Byers.
He found Viola Simons, 76, of Orillia, so dirty he couldn’t even see her skin, court heard.
The woman’s daughter, Dianne Davy, 49, and her son-in-law, James Davy, 47, of Orillia, are on trial for failing to provide the necessities of life.
Paramedics got the call to attend the town house at 12 Lankin Blvd. in Orillia at around 3:40 a.m May 26, 2011. The woman’s daughter had called because her mother was vomiting.
As soon as paramedics entered the home, they were hit with the sharp ammonia smell of urine, court heard.
“It smelled like cat urine,” Byers testified. He said he and his partner made their way upstairs and found Simons, a “tiny lady,” lying naked on her bed in a filthy, dark room.
She was covered with a dark, brownish, “coffee-ground emesis,” that he said was vomit mixed with blood.
“It was all over her torso and all around her bed,” said Byers. “There was feces ... She was moaning in pain.” He said her stomach was distended like a basket ball, which was a sign she was suffering from gastric bleeding and her right leg was twice the size of her left leg.
“She was so emaciated, you could see all her ribs ... You could see her heart beating through her skin,” said Byers. Immediately he administered an intravenous to hydrate her.
Byers asked the woman’s daughter questions, and learned that Simons suffered from dementia, court heard.
“But I couldn’t get any other information ... The answers were very vague,” Byers said, adding he became suspicious and called police.
“When we suspect elder abuse, it’s our duty to the public to call police,” Byers said.
OPP Const. Kalle Eriksson said he was hit with the same sharp smell of urine when he entered the house and made his way up to her room.
“Her skin was black and filthy, you couldn’t see her skin, her armpits were black,” said Eriksson. “The window was spray-painted black so absolutely no light could get in.”
Jurors looked at a photograph of the gaunt, emaciated woman after hospital staff had cleaned her and gave her a teddy bear. Several other photographs displayed in court showed bruises on her legs, arms, thighs, forehead, and a large swollen red ulcer on her lower back.
The trial continues.
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By Tracy McLaughlin, Special to QMI Agency First posted: Thursday, October 09, 2014 07:51 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, October 10, 2014 07:38 PM EDT
Crying out in pain and asking for her “momma,” a 76-year-old woman was found emaciated and lying in urine, vomit and feces in a room where the window was spray-painted black, a court has heard.
“She was filthy ... She was crying, ‘Momma, momma, I want my momma,’” said emotional paramedic Steve Byers.
He found Viola Simons, 76, of Orillia, so dirty he couldn’t even see her skin, court heard.
The woman’s daughter, Dianne Davy, 49, and her son-in-law, James Davy, 47, of Orillia, are on trial for failing to provide the necessities of life.
Paramedics got the call to attend the town house at 12 Lankin Blvd. in Orillia at around 3:40 a.m May 26, 2011. The woman’s daughter had called because her mother was vomiting.
As soon as paramedics entered the home, they were hit with the sharp ammonia smell of urine, court heard.
“It smelled like cat urine,” Byers testified. He said he and his partner made their way upstairs and found Simons, a “tiny lady,” lying naked on her bed in a filthy, dark room.
She was covered with a dark, brownish, “coffee-ground emesis,” that he said was vomit mixed with blood.
“It was all over her torso and all around her bed,” said Byers. “There was feces ... She was moaning in pain.” He said her stomach was distended like a basket ball, which was a sign she was suffering from gastric bleeding and her right leg was twice the size of her left leg.
“She was so emaciated, you could see all her ribs ... You could see her heart beating through her skin,” said Byers. Immediately he administered an intravenous to hydrate her.
Byers asked the woman’s daughter questions, and learned that Simons suffered from dementia, court heard.
“But I couldn’t get any other information ... The answers were very vague,” Byers said, adding he became suspicious and called police.
“When we suspect elder abuse, it’s our duty to the public to call police,” Byers said.
OPP Const. Kalle Eriksson said he was hit with the same sharp smell of urine when he entered the house and made his way up to her room.
“Her skin was black and filthy, you couldn’t see her skin, her armpits were black,” said Eriksson. “The window was spray-painted black so absolutely no light could get in.”
Jurors looked at a photograph of the gaunt, emaciated woman after hospital staff had cleaned her and gave her a teddy bear. Several other photographs displayed in court showed bruises on her legs, arms, thighs, forehead, and a large swollen red ulcer on her lower back.
The trial continues.
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Viola Simons is pictured in hospital. (Court photo)
Senior found in squalor was a 'wreck': Doctor
By Tracy McLaughlin, Special to QMI Agency First posted: Friday, October 10, 2014 06:41 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, October 10, 2014 09:53 PM EDT
BARRIE - Three years before a 76-year-old woman was found living in squalor and suffering from starvation, her family doctor tried in vain to have the senior removed from her daughter’s care, a jury heard Friday.
Paramedics found Viola Simonds emaciated, covered in vomit and feces, and crying out in pain as she lay naked in a darkened room with the window spray-painted black in her daughter’s Orillia townhouse on May 26, 2011.
Her daughter, Dianne Davy, 49, and Davy’s husband, James Davy, 47, of Orillia, are on trial for failing to provide the necessities of life.
“She was very near death,” said Dr. David Collins, when he saw her in the emergency ward. “It looked like she was on a starvation diet.”
Simonds was suffering from a broken hip, severe dehydration, anemia and gastric bleeding — likely caused from lack of food and water.
Collins was Simonds’ family doctor for several years until she seemed to disappear when he attempted to get her into full-time care. In 2008, Simonds was over-weight and in relatively good health for her age, but was grieving over the loss of her husband, said Collins.
Three months later, police brought her to the hospital and there was a drastic change.
“She was very sick. She was anemic, dehydrated and confused,” said Collins. “I was concerned — she needed full-time care.” But he said the daughter refused to allow it.
Collins took steps to have the daughter removed as power of attorney and he sent an application to the Ontario Consent and Capacity Board. A hearing was held but the board refused, and only ordered the daughter to bring Simonds in for regular medical checks.
But Davy only brought her mother in once, he said.
“I never saw her again after that,” said Collins, who became alarmed. “I sent the OPP to look for her, but we never heard back from them.”
Three years later, he was shocked to see Simonds back in emergency in far worse condition.
“She was filthy. She was confused. She was in pain,” he said. “She kept calling out for her mother.”
In court, he looked at photos showing the emaciated tiny woman with ribs and bones protruding, bruises on her limbs and a large purple-black ulcer on her back.
“She would have been dead within a couple of more days,” said Collins.
Sadly, he said, Simonds was too far gone and never made a recovery. She was too sick to have her hip repaired, and the anemia, dehydration and starvation had done too much damage to her organs and brain.
“She was a wreck by the time she got into care,” said Collins.
Simonds died months later in a long-term-care home.
The trial continues.
A court photo shows Viola Simonds after she was brought to an emergency ward starving, dehydrated and bleeding internally.
Senior found in squalor was a 'wreck': Doctor | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto S
Senior found in squalor was a 'wreck': Doctor
By Tracy McLaughlin, Special to QMI Agency First posted: Friday, October 10, 2014 06:41 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, October 10, 2014 09:53 PM EDT
BARRIE - Three years before a 76-year-old woman was found living in squalor and suffering from starvation, her family doctor tried in vain to have the senior removed from her daughter’s care, a jury heard Friday.
Paramedics found Viola Simonds emaciated, covered in vomit and feces, and crying out in pain as she lay naked in a darkened room with the window spray-painted black in her daughter’s Orillia townhouse on May 26, 2011.
Her daughter, Dianne Davy, 49, and Davy’s husband, James Davy, 47, of Orillia, are on trial for failing to provide the necessities of life.
“She was very near death,” said Dr. David Collins, when he saw her in the emergency ward. “It looked like she was on a starvation diet.”
Simonds was suffering from a broken hip, severe dehydration, anemia and gastric bleeding — likely caused from lack of food and water.
Collins was Simonds’ family doctor for several years until she seemed to disappear when he attempted to get her into full-time care. In 2008, Simonds was over-weight and in relatively good health for her age, but was grieving over the loss of her husband, said Collins.
Three months later, police brought her to the hospital and there was a drastic change.
“She was very sick. She was anemic, dehydrated and confused,” said Collins. “I was concerned — she needed full-time care.” But he said the daughter refused to allow it.
Collins took steps to have the daughter removed as power of attorney and he sent an application to the Ontario Consent and Capacity Board. A hearing was held but the board refused, and only ordered the daughter to bring Simonds in for regular medical checks.
But Davy only brought her mother in once, he said.
“I never saw her again after that,” said Collins, who became alarmed. “I sent the OPP to look for her, but we never heard back from them.”
Three years later, he was shocked to see Simonds back in emergency in far worse condition.
“She was filthy. She was confused. She was in pain,” he said. “She kept calling out for her mother.”
In court, he looked at photos showing the emaciated tiny woman with ribs and bones protruding, bruises on her limbs and a large purple-black ulcer on her back.
“She would have been dead within a couple of more days,” said Collins.
Sadly, he said, Simonds was too far gone and never made a recovery. She was too sick to have her hip repaired, and the anemia, dehydration and starvation had done too much damage to her organs and brain.
“She was a wreck by the time she got into care,” said Collins.
Simonds died months later in a long-term-care home.
The trial continues.
A court photo shows Viola Simonds after she was brought to an emergency ward starving, dehydrated and bleeding internally.
Senior found in squalor was a 'wreck': Doctor | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto S
