WARNING: The details in this story may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.
A caregiver who was charged in the death of a woman with Down syndrome in her care took the stand at a coroner’s inquest on Tuesday.
Astrid Dahl was supposed to be caring for Florence Girard when the 54-year-old woman died of malnourishment and starvation in October 2018, weighing only 50.6 pounds.
On Tuesday, Dahl testified that she and Girard were attached and bonded over the same sense of humour. She said Girard wanted to live with Dahl and that it was in her best interest.
Dahl said that when Girard first moved in, Girard was obese and doctors warned she would get diabetes and other medical issues if she kept gaining weight.
Girard had lived with Dahl for about eight years as a part of a residential home-sharing agreement, overseen by the non-profit Kinsight Community Society.
At Dahl’s trial in 2018, court heard she didn’t give Girard her prescriptions or take her to medical appointments for a lengthy time period, that her health declined, she stopped eating and later died.
Dahl testified on Tuesday that whenever someone from Kinsight came by for home visits, they didn’t often go upstairs to check on Girard.
She said when Girard’s mobility became bad, she asked for a wheelchair but didn’t get one so Dahl got one for her.
“I was never really far away from her,” Dahl said. “She shadowed me.
“She got a lot of attention.”
Dahl said Girard hated going to the dentist or the doctor and Girard had a right to refuse to go.
“Flo was having a meltdown and screaming and crying,” Dahl said, “putting her through all that horrible stress. It was torture for me seeing her in this agony.”
She said she told Kinsight about what was going on but she was doing what she thought was best for Girard.
“Now, I wish I could go back in time and do it differently,” Dahl said.
“No one knew what to do. No one came up with solutions or ideas.”
Dahl was asked if Girard was able to make informed decisions on medical and dental care but Dahl maintained Girard had the right to say no to go to these services.
“She never complained about her teeth hurting her,” Dahl said.
“I was stuck in a loop of not knowing what to do. No one else offered to help me find a solution.”
Dahl said no one would take Girard as a patient because of her behaviour but when asked if it was her duty to make sure Girard received care, whether she wanted to or not, Dahl admitted she wished she had done many things differently, including this.
Dahl said she noticed Girard started to decline at the end of summer in 2018.
“She became different,” Dahl said. “Taking her bed apart with just her fingers. We had to dismantle her bed.”
She said the weight loss started in September and October but she thought if she could just take care of Girard she would bounce back.
“I was in denial,” Dahl said.
“I just wanted Flo to be comfortable at home and I just wanted to be near her. I didn’t want her to be alone.”
Dahl was convicted of failing to provide the necessaries of life in connection with Girard’s death.
Girard’s sister, Sharon Bursey, was the first to testify at the inquest on Monday.
Bursey said her sister lived in a group home before moving to Dahl’s house and she thought the two had an amazing relationship.
However, she learned later that Girard lived in a suite with a baby gate so she couldn’t go anywhere. Her window was blocked and the movie Titanic was played on a continuous loop.
“It’s like she was thrown in the hole of a prison,” Bursey said.
“Last four years of her life was awful. Staring at the walls and watching Titanic over and over again.”
Tamara Taggart, president of Down syndrome BC told Global News that Girard’s legacy must be one of change.
Taggart, who has a son with Down syndrome, said there is no support or funding for families like hers and no one seems to listen.
“I constantly have to fight for people to see my son as a human being, and it’s heartbreaking,” she said.
“People with Down syndrome in this province do not receive any support unless they’re in a dire situation.”
Taggart, who started Down syndrome BC after seeing the RCMP news conference about Girard’s death said she would like to see more transparency and accountability and when someone dies in government care privacy laws should be off the table.
“We are all one bad thing away from ending up in government care. Florence could be any of us,” she said.