Manitoban who lost grandparents to COVID-19 never got to say goodbye
When Justin Dusik thinks of COVID-19, his memories take him back to text messages telling him his grandparents had died. Because of pandemic rules restricting hospital visitation, Dusik and his family didn't have a chance to say a proper goodbye to them — a memory that lingers almost four years later.
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Global News
7 hours ago
- Global News
B.C. desperately needs a 2nd forensic psychiatric hospital, report finds
B.C. needs a second forensic psychiatric hospital to deal with a constant demand for beds, a new report has found. A forensic psychiatric hospital is a facility where people who have committed a crime or been involved with the law have been found not criminally responsible for their actions. Under Canadian law, a person is found not criminally responsible if a judge finds they committed a criminal act under the influence of mental illness and they cannot possess the capacity to understand that their behaviour was wrong. There is only one forensic psychiatric hospital in the province, located in Coquitlam and known as Colony Farm. The facility has 190 beds. The province also has six forensic clinics for people who have received a conditional discharge, where they do not have to attend Colony Farm but must take part in monitoring and ongoing treatments. Story continues below advertisement The annual report from the British Columbia Review Board states that the number of people found not criminally responsible remains the same as the previous year, which remains the highest it has been since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the number of accused people discharged by the board who have had their cases closed has decreased from pre-pandemic years. 'It is likely that the impact of dramatically reduced community-based services for forensic patients,' the report states. As a result, the board found that Colony Farm is under constant pressure as more new accused people are being admitted than are being discharged. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Of course, the Board cannot discharge patients when it is unsafe to do so,' the report states. 'Further, the Board regularly hears of accused persons who are in the community but are not complying with the Board's orders. In many cases, these accused ought to be returned to custody.' With limited beds available, the board said an obvious solution is a second forensic psychiatric hospital. 'The Board notes that Ontario has 11 forensic hospitals serving a population of 15.9 million. B.C., by contrast, has one forensic hospital serving a population of 5.6 million,' according to the report. Story continues below advertisement 4:14 B.C. premier comments on Vancouver Chinatown stabbings Colony Farm was thrust into the spotlight again after a man who was on an unescorted leave from there stabbed three people at a festival in Chinatown in 2023. Blair Evan Donnelly pleaded not guilty earlier this year in the stabbing case. However, this was not the first time he had been involved with the law. In 2006, Donnelly said God wanted him to kill his 16-year-old daughter, Stephanie, when they were living in Kitimat, B.C. According to court documents, on Nov. 23, 2006, Donnelly went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, stabbing his daughter several times, first in the chest and then in the neck. After the attack, Donnelly went to the church and prayed, according to the documents. Story continues below advertisement On Jan. 23, 2008, a judge found Donnelly not criminally responsible due to mental disorder in the second-degree murder of his daughter. He was sent to Colony Farm. In 2009, Donnelly was before the courts again in Surrey. That file is currently sealed, but according to a 2011 report in the Vancouver Sun, the B.C. Review Board granted Donnelly unescorted leave and a violent incident involving a weapon took place. The story also said that in February 2009, Donnelly was granted unsupervised community visits up to 28 days in length. It was during one of these visits in October later that year that he stabbed a friend and was held criminally responsible for that incident. In 2023, then-Vancouver police Chief Const. Adam Palmer said Donnelly was out on a day pass when he allegedly stabbed three people in an unprovoked attack at the family event in Chinatown. Donnelly could go to trial later this year.
Calgary Herald
10 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
'Nothing threatening about it': U of C study explores how robots could address social isolation in seniors
Article content Loneliness and social isolation are growing challenges for older adults living in care facilities. But a recent study by a University of Calgary student suggests that robots might be able to fill the gaps where existing programs fall short. Article content Fahimeh Mehrabi, a PhD student in psychology at the U of C, presented a research paper earlier this month at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences in Toronto, titled Wired for Companionship: A Meta-Analysis on Social Robots Filling the Void of Loneliness in Later Life. Article content Article content Article content Article content Her research compiled available quantitative studies that measured loneliness before and after using robots. When she combined and reanalyzed the data, the results were promising. Article content 'Our findings showed that all types of social robots, whether simple or more advanced, can help. As long as they are designed to engage and interact, they are effective,' she said. Article content The idea isn't as far-fetched as it sounds — social robots have been tested in elder care for more than a decade in countries such as Japan and Turkey. Article content Article content Models range from human or pet-like robots that offer comfort through touch and movement, to voice-activated AI companions that can engage in conversations. Often, they offer some combination of both. Article content Unison, the not-for-profit organization that runs the Kerby Centre in Calgary, is all too familiar with the prevalence of social loneliness and isolation among its clients. Article content 'There was a recent study that found prolonged isolation was as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day,' said Larry Mathieson, president and CEO of Unison. Article content Unison is tackling senior isolation and loneliness through a wide range of traditional programs at the Kerby and Veiner Centres. These include hundreds of fitness, music and social classes available in person or online. Article content During the COVID-19 pandemic, Unison's online classes helped seniors learn new tech skills and stay socially active. Online classes under its Active Aging department stayed in place post-pandemic due to their accessibility and positive effects.
Global News
10 hours ago
- Global News
‘Razor blade' sore throat? What to know about latest COVID variant
The COVID-19 variant that may be driving a recent rise in cases in some parts of the world has earned a new nickname: 'razor blade throat' COVID. That's because the variant — NB.1.8.1. or 'Nimbus' — may cause painful sore throats. Dr. Gorfinkel joins us to break down what to know and other top health news stories.
