A family whose 98-year-old mother starved to death in hospital has received an apology from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.

Anne Rostecki starved to death in 2009 in Seven Oaks Hospital after suffering a stroke and being unable to swallow. She wasn't given food for two weeks and her daughter, Rozalynde McKibbin, said the family was never told.

The health authority apologized on Friday but never explained why it took three years.

McKibbin was also provided with a list of recommendations the WRHA has adopted on how to improve elder care in hospital.

The recommendations include consulting families about methods of feeding patients.

McKibbin hopes the recommendations will be followed because families need to be able to trust their loved ones will receive the care they need.

"It's never been about suing for money or anything like that.I would call that blood money — making money off of somebody's death. It was about alerting the public," she said.

"There's so many people out there that have had bad experiences and you know it's, it's terrible."

There have been a number of incidents recently that have put Seven Oaks Hospital into the headlines.

In January, Heather Brenan, 68, collapsed on her doorstep and died a short time later after being sent home from the hospital's emergency ward.

An autopsy determined she died from blood clots in her legs.

In March 2011, Rick Campbell went into Seven Oaks for a two-hour surgery on his left leg after he'd torn his tendon. The doctors accidentally opened up his right leg first.

He came forward with his story in March 2012 after hearing about Brenan's incident.

Also in March 2012, Steve Spence went to Seven Oaks because of a blood clot on the brain. He was sent home after being treated for anemia.

Hours later he collapsed at home. He is now unable to speak and paralysed from a stroke.