There was a wave of consternation Monday morning at a Terrebonne nursing home where a 79-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s was allegedly strangled by her husband on Saturday.
• Also read: Femicide: A 79-year-old woman was allegedly strangled by her partner in Terrebonne
“It was an employee who found them, so it is definitely difficult for the employees,” explained André Grégoire, managing director of Maison l’Étincelle, a private senior residence (RPA) that also houses the Resource de Lanaudière, a public one Senior residence, located center.
The tragedy occurred inside the building on Rue Yves-Blais. When the dormitory staff member went to the victim’s room on the third floor to do her usual rounds, she discovered his body. According to our information, she showed signs of violence on her neck. Staff quickly called 911 and police arrived around 6 p.m. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
“She was a very lovely lady, the staff loved her very much,” Mr Grégoire said.
Her husband, who did not live there and was her carer, was found in poor condition. The latter is said to have taken medication to commit suicide. He remains in hospital in critical condition. He is considered a suspect, Terrebonne police confirmed Monday morning.
Since the building primarily houses people with cognitive problems, most residents were not particularly aware of the significant police intervention, according to testimonies collected on site.
“We have an 80% cognitive clientele here, many suffer from Alzheimer’s, so fortunately many don’t remember it,” explains Mr. Grégoire. We’re talking about people who generally don’t remember what they had for lunch, so fortunately they don’t leave too many scars. »
However, her carers were deeply shocked by all the excitement over the weekend.
“There were really a lot of police here and we had very little communication,” said Sylvie Lecours, a caregiver who came to dinner with her mother on Monday morning.
Many found out about it through the media on Monday morning and regret the lack of communication from the service center that manages the Lanaudière resource.
“I didn’t even get an email. Of course I would have liked to know what happened,” says Sylvana Rizzi. It seems to me that it is the least we can do. »
With Maxime Deland
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