Senior with brain damage found abandoned in house safe and getting care
'This is probably the first time for me seeing an allegation such as this,' says police
An elderly woman with brain damage abandoned by relatives in a filthy house has been released from hospital and is being cared for, says a spokesperson with the Calgary police Elder Abuse Response Unit.
Sgt. Avril Martin called the case "unusual."
"I can honestly say in the time I have been in this unit, I haven't seen this. And we certainly deal with physical abuse, sexual abuse, fraud abuse, but this is probably the first time for me seeing an allegation such as this."
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Martin said the unit was called to the house after the landlord of the rental property found the 68-year-old alone without food or water. The rooms were littered with garbage, rotting food and dirty diapers.
The unidentified woman was taken to the hospital for an assessment and has now been released and is in care.
"There's a suspicion she was left and unable to care for herself," said Martin. "Whether she's actually able to care for herself is still being determined."
The landlord, Sandy Ert, says she had recently served the tenants an eviction notice after they fell behind in rent.
Ert says the tenants who fled were two women who had a baby.
It's believed the senior's relatives may have gone to British Columbia, but attempts to contact them have not been successful.
With files from the Canadian Press