Disoriented woman wanders into Halifax home, sparks calls for better mental health care

A Halifax couple says they're glad no one was hurt after they found a stranger in their home Monday, but it's left them shaken and calling for changes in Nova Scotia's mental health services.

Emmett Paul arrived home from a doctor's appointment to find a woman standing in the front hallway of his apartment, located close to Halifax's QEII Hospital.

"She seemed very lost," he said. "She said, 'I'm thirsty.'"

He had no idea who she was or what had happened to his partner, Erik Saulnier,  who was home, but not in sight. 

Paul says the woman then shut the front door on him, and panic set it. Paul tried to call Saulnier, but he didn't pick up.

"It was terrifying. I definitely had the moment where I thought 'he is mortally wounded.'"

It turns out Saulnier had been taking a nap and woke to muffled voices outside the bedroom. 

He went into the hall and also discovered the stranger. He quickly realized the woman, who may have been able to enter because the door wasn't properly locked, was not well.

"She is in a hospital gown and cardigan, no shoes on. She didn't look well. She looked more on the frail side of things," said Saulnier. "I handled that as well as you would expect someone would. A little bit of a panic."

He says he couldn't make out the few words she said. 

"She took a couple of steps and stopped and started washing her feet in the cat's water dish, which is right by the door."

Both men called 911 — Paul from the sidewalk, frantic that Saulnier was in serious trouble.

"I only knew that he was OK when the police dispatch told me that one of her colleagues was talking to him on the phone."

Police take her away in handcuffs

Halifax Regional Police arrived, and Paul and Saulnier say the officers immediately recognized the woman.

"They were telling us that we were the eighth call to the police on her in the last two days. They said — and I quote — 'The hospital won't do anything for her so she's our problem now,'" said Saulnier.

"It was very much, 'she is a nuisance and we have to deal with her,'" added Paul.

They say the woman was handcuffed and taken away by police.

Now Paul and Saulnier are calling on the province to do more to help people with mental illnesses.

They say this is a clear case of someone in need who is falling through the cracks.

"In hindsight, she was not a danger to us or anyone else," said Paul. "Obviously she could have been a danger to herself in that she had no idea where she was."

Halifax police confirmed they responded to a call for help on the block that afternoon, but it would not say if they had repeated calls for interactions with the same woman.

Nova Scotia Health said no patients were missing from the QEII Hospital at that time, and did not comment further.

Similar experiences shared

Saulnier posted a message about the experience on social media where it has been shared more than 2,000 times.

He says he's received dozens of replies and private notes from people sharing similar experiences.

Saulnier says the mental health system is a disaster.

 "The system is clearly not designed to help people. You have a woman who the police have told us frequents the hospital, yet she can't get assistance and she's just trying doors to find a warm place. Something needs to happen where we're focusing more on the people and the actual safety for them as opposed to just turning a blind eye."

The Department of Health and Wellness sent a statement, saying a situation like this is upsetting. 

"While we can't speak to Mr. Saulnier's specific experiences ... we want to assure Nova Scotians that mental health and addiction services and other supports are available to those in need," the statement said.

Gaps in mental health care

It also acknowledges that some people have concerns about the role of policing in mental health calls.

"We are actively exploring new ways of providing care and protecting the safety of people in crisis and of those around them, including more community response to mental health."

Karn Nichols, the executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association in Nova Scotia, acknowledged gaps in mental health care in Nova Scotia in an interview last week.

Nichols said that a survey by her organization revealed people often don't know where to seek help.

"Some people would go to 211 and they would get direction in a particular area, some people might go to their minister and might get another direction and some people might go to their doctor," Nichols said.

"So the path is not clear and so when these folks are looking for help, sometimes they hit it right and they get what they need and sometimes they don't."

Nichols said mental health supports that are available are not always coordinated which can lead to confusion. 

"It's not as clear for the public when it comes to mental health and mental wellness," Nichols said.