Families seek answers after inquiry into CHSLD deaths begins Monday

Editor’s note: Some people may find details in this story disturbing. 

MONTREAL (CityNews) – An inquiry will begin on Monday, looking into the deaths at CHSLD Herron, in Dorval, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec.

BACKGROUND: Quebec coroner to investigate 31 deaths at seniors’ home near Montreal

It comes after a total of 38 people died during the first wave of COVID-19 in the province. Families of those who died are alleging that neglect played a big factor.

“It looked like she hadn’t eaten in days,” Barbara Schneider, whose mother was one of the people that died, told CityNews.

“It was horrible to see.”

WATCH: CityNews was first to cover the situation in Dorval 

Schneider’s mother Mary was one of the 38 residents that died at the privately run seniors home, now named West Island CHSLD in Montreal’s Dorval.

“If I knew what was going on, I would’ve taken action,” Schneider said.

“Why should she be left like that… with no food, no water.”

Mary Schneider died Apr. 10, at 92 years old, testing positive for COVID-19 just two days before that.

Her daughter says she didn’t have underlying health conditions.

“Yes, she walked with a walker, but she was otherwise fine, she could have stayed there for a number of years. There was no reason to die the way she did so quickly.”

WATCH: Full interview with Barbara Schneider

Wayne Allo’s aunt passed away at Herron Residence, also.

“Every time I think of my aunt, I think about her. Lying in bed, lying excrement, in urine and not getting water and not getting meals,” Allo said.

“I don’t if she was starving to death or what was happening, we never got any answers from them.”

96-year-old Jean Allo died at Herron Apr. 8.

Her close family is in Alberta, who say Jean was more than just an aunt.

“There’s no moving forward. We don’t have a cause of death. It just says ‘see medical records.'”

“We haven’t been able to have a service for her, to celebrate her life, to bury her.”

Meanwhile, Schneider has launched a $2 million class action against the former owners of the residence, Katasa Group  on behalf of all residents affected

There are also several investigations into Herron underway including a criminal one.

Many are asking why the private residence was chronically understaffed and personnel abandoned their posts at the start of the pandemic causing public health to place the residence under trusteeship.

“There (are) so many things that I’d like answers for, but are we going to get the answers?” Allo said.

RELATED: ‘Overworked’ and ‘overwhelmed’ nurses in Quebec make jump from public to private

The inquiry will begin just a week after Quebec surpassed the grim 10,000 deaths during the pandemic with a series of travelling public hearings looking at a wave of deaths in long-term care homes between Mar. 12 and May 1, 2020. The process is expected to last several months.

READ MORE: Quebec’s opposition parties renew calls for COVID public inquiry after 10,000 deaths

“What’s happened from nursing homes can’t be undone,” Sharon Allo said.

“If anything, the families of relatives who died in this want more than anything — we can’t help our relatives anymore, just this can never be allowed to happen again.”

“Unfortunately, my mom didn’t have her family with her,” Schneider said. “That’ll sit with me forever. Nobody should die with no dignity and I think the people who died at Herron had no dignity.”

With files from The Canadian Press