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The sister of a 40-year-old woman who died after developing a fist-sized infected bedsore at a Halifax long-term-care facility says she’s shocked police have closed the case finding no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Chrissy Dunnington developed a Stage 4 bed sore and pneumonia at Parkstone Enhanced Care that her sister Dorothy Dunnington said had exposed her tail-bone. She was rushed to the emergency department at QEII Health Sciences Centre on Jan. 28, 2018, and died eight weeks later.

Four months after Chrissy died, the family filed a complaint with police alleging her death was preventable and resulted from a lack of medical attention to her wound. They say the bedsore itself was preventable if staff had the time to reposition her properly and more frequently in her wheelchair and her bed.

Halifax Regional Police issued a news release late Friday afternoon, saying its investigation had concluded, finding “that there was no evidence to suggest that the death was a result of criminal wrongdoing.”

Her sister Dorothy Dunnington said police had dropped the investigation based on the province’s medical examiner’s finding that the death was ultimately the result of natural causes. She said on Thursday she had received the letter Dr. Matthew Bowes had sent to Halifax Regional Police reporting his findings.

“We are at a loss as to how the medical examiner could be responsible for deciding the manner of death but yet be unable to comment on her quality of care,” said Dunnington. “In our opinion, it was the quality of care that caused her death.

“I told the police she may have died of natural causes: sepsis due to a pressure injury but the sepsis and the pressure injury she suffered were caused because of negligence and neglect. We’re still baffled. We don’t really know where to go from here.”

The Chronicle Herald obtained a copy of Bowes’ letter. He could not immediately be reached for comment.

Bowes wrote that he was charged with investigating sections of the Fatality Investigations Act, to determine whether the disabled woman’s death was the result of “improper or suspected negligent treatment by a person” or “the death occurred as a result of suspected misadventure, negligence or accident on the part of the attending physician or staff.”

Bowes determined he could not find any such evidence.

He also said the woman’s body has already been cremated by the time he began his investigation and that his office received 600 pages of medical records as well as the family’s response to a preliminary investigation by the department of health. He said it’s not within his mandate to offer an opinion on the quality of care that a person has received, nor is it within the mandate of the medical examiner to assign blame or make a finding of fault.

“These activities belong within the purview of the courts or professional regulatory bodies,” stated Bowes. “Issues having to do with this case may also be the subject of civil litigation.”

But Dunnington said it’s difficult to understand that both the medical examiner and police investigators couldn’t determine that her sister’s death was the result of wilful neglect.

“If Chrissy had been in my care and I had shown up to the hospital with her in the type of condition she was, I would be charged,” said Dunnington. “If somebody lets an animal in their care go unfed, doesn’t clean and care for them properly and let wounds become infected they’re charged.”

Her cousin Donna Dunnington agreed.

“Her bedsore exposed her spinal cord,” said Donna. “I’m still convinced it was a criminal act. I wish there could be more done in honour of Chrissy and others who can’t speak up for themselves and Chrissy couldn’t.”

Halifax Regional Police could not be reached for comment.

The department of health emailed a statement saying it would resume its internal investigation into the incident that had been on hold since the start of the police probe.

Shannex Incorporated, the company that owns Parkstone Enhanced Care, also issued a statement calling the ordeal “an extremely difficult and complex situation for everyone involved.

“We appreciate that the police investigation determined there was no wrongdoing,” said company spokesman Matt Proctor.

Dorothy Dunnington said the family would take some time to consider their options.

“It’s been a very difficult time for the entire family as you can imagine,” said Dunnington. “Our mother passed away in January. Chrissy was everything to her. As a family we need to sit down and figure out what to do.”

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