EXCLUSIVE: ‘She was left too long’: Daughter blames long-term care home for mother’s death
A daughter is blaming long-term care facility Harbour View Haven of neglect resulting in the death of her 94-year-old mother after she was found in critically ill condition, in a case she says doctors told her “could have all been avoided.”
“I called my mother every day. Even when we went down south every year, I still called her faithfully.”
On June 6 of 2026, Darlene Joudrey says she called her mother, noting that she was a little bit confused, her speech was a little slurred, and that she just wanted to sleep.
Joudrey says she received a letter from Harbour View Haven the day before alerting family of residents that a flu was going around the home and they were not allowed to visit until further notice. She says her mother had caught the flu.
“From June 6 to June 8, it was the same thing when I called her,” says Joudrey. “After I spoke with Mom, I always called the nurses and said, ‘My mother doesn’t seem right,’ and they kept telling me, ‘Oh no, your mama’s okay.’”
Joudrey says she received a call from the home on the morning of June 9. “They said Mom was up all night and was restless, but she was sleeping now. I asked if visiting was open, and they said no.”
Then, Joudrey says a friend had messaged her saying she was there visiting her mom.
“I had just been told no visitors were allowed,” Joudrey says, surprised. “I called again and was told the same thing, but I had a feeling something was not right.”
Despite staff saying the home was closed to visitors, she decided to go check on her mom.
“I went down that day and found her not alert, laying crossways on the bed. I said, ‘Mom, are you awake?’ There was no response whatsoever.”
Joudrey says she immediately notified the nurses that something was wrong.
“I told the nurse, ‘My mother needs medical attention. I want an ambulance called.’ She was hot, clammy, and not alert. The ambulance got there within 10 minutes. She had a temperature of 103, was having trouble breathing, and they took her to the South Shore Regional Hospital,” she explains.
“The doctor couldn’t believe someone was brought in from a nursing home in that kind of shape. She had pneumonia in both lungs, had aspirated vomit, and was severely dehydrated.”
Joudrey says hospital staff put her mother on IV fluids, strong antibiotics, and oxygen from Tuesday through Friday, but that she remained non-responsive the whole time.
“Friday, they said she wasn’t improving. I said, ‘Mom, squeeze my hand if you know I’m here,’ but she didn’t.”
On Saturday, Joudrey says the doctor told her, ‘We’ve done everything. She was left too long at the nursing home. She’s not going to come out of this.’”
“He suggested removing the oxygen. I gave my consent, and within 15 minutes she was gone.”
After saying goodbye, Joudrey says, “We met with the nursing home, and they said my mother was ‘fine.’ I said, ‘She had a temperature of 103 and wasn’t alert. Why didn’t you call an ambulance?’
“They said it’s not their protocol.”
Joudrey says she is not interested in taking legal action at this time. “I’m not looking for money. I just want to make people aware that this is not right.”
She says her mother had been living in the home since October of 2024.
“When my mom went in there, I thought she would be cared for, have meals, and be safe. But during the strike, none of them got a bath for six weeks,” she says, frustrated. “I supported the nurses.”
Joudrey recounts the past few weeks and says “there was a decline during the strike. One day her bedding was so dirty I asked for sheets to change it myself.”
The long-term care strike began April 13, taking over 35 care homes and 3,600 workers across the province off the job for over 8 weeks.
“Cleanliness in the home was poor during the strike. Staff hours were cut, so less work was getting done.”
Joudrey notes that she noticed her mother’s health started declining following weeks of understaffed care at the facility due to the strike. However, at the time of Joudrey’s 911 call, she says, “They can’t use the excuse that the nurses were still on strike because the nurses was all back to work the day before that, so they were fully staffed.”
She pleads, “This was neglect. Anyone going into her room should have noticed a 103 fever. Why weren’t they watching her closer? Why didn’t they call me?”
“They only called to say she had been up all night and was now sleeping, but the shape I found her in, I don’t believe that at all,” says Joudrey.
“The CEO has never returned my calls to this day.”
In a statement to Acadia News, the home’s CEO Tim McAuley, says:
“Harbour View Haven extends our sincere condolences to the family on the loss of their loved one. We recognize this is a difficult time for the family.
Out of respect for the privacy of our residents and their families, we cannot comment on the care or circumstances of any individual resident.
We take any concerns about resident care seriously, and when they are raised, we review them through established processes. Harbour View Haven, like all long-term care homes in Nova Scotia, operates under provincial standards intended to support safe and accountable care.
Our focus every day is on providing compassionate care in a safe and respectful environment for all residents.”
Tim McAuley, CEO
Acadia News reached out to Nova Scotia Health representatives regarding Jourdrey’s concerns. Brendan Elliot, the Senior Advisor for Public Affairs, Content, & Media Relations, says in a statement:
“The Nova Scotia Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) prevents us from commenting on details relating to an individual’s specific health information or their care.”
Brendan Elliott, Senior Advisor
Public Affairs, Content & Media Relations
Joudrey says she reached out to the provinces Protection for Persons in Care department to file a report of neglect.
“The case worker called me, and I said to her ‘I’ve got pictures of the shape that I found her in.’ And she said, ‘you keep those pictures. We will be investigating Harbor View Haven.’”
