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A dementia patient at a long-term care home in southern Alberta is recovering after a staff member found mice nibbling at her face, a health-care advocacy group says.

Friends of Medicare said the incident happened at St. Therese Villa in Lethbridge on Sept. 1.

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“We found out that last Sunday … one of the staff of that facility walked into this resident’s room and found mice nibbling on her face,” Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare, said Monday.

“The lady was in fact bitten and now she’s been medically treated for that. … I’m completely horrified. I think it’s beyond words. I can’t imagine being that lady who had this happen to her.”

The woman also has disabilities and would not have been able to move the mice off her face, Ms. Azocar said.

Emotionally it impacted her and she’s on medication to prevent infection

“She’s doing OK. Emotionally it impacted her and she’s on medication to prevent infection.”

Ms. Azocar said a nest of mice was found in the woman’s closet.