Daughter of Winnipeg senior who went missing last year hopes review helps prevent similar incidents

The daughter of a Winnipeg senior who has been missing for over a year says she hopes recommendations from a critical incident review into his disappearance help prevent similar incidents.

Earl Moberg, who suffered from dementia, was last seen on Dec. 12, 2023, leaving his home in Winnipeg's River East area. Since then, his disappearance has been deemed a critical incident by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, defined by the province as a case where someone using  health care services suffers "serious and unintended harm."

The health authority said in a summary of its review that it "identified missed opportunities for proactive care/safety planning and updates to the care plan" to address Moberg's care needs. 

Moberg, who was 81 when he went missing, was still living at his home, but the day he was last seen was his first day of home care.

While the Moberg family won't get a copy of the critical incident report itself, the health authority sent his daughter, Britt, a summary of its findings and recommendations earlier this week. The Moberg family were also involved in the review process.

"There were a number of suggestions that came from our experience, and I think that they seemed to have incorporated a number of those things," said Britt Moberg.

Among the WRHA's recommendations are a mandatory refresher series for home care case co-coordinators, creating a clinical pathway for people who are on the "continuum for progressive dementia," and reviewing adult day program services to include more locations in the city and address wait lists.

'Could have been life-saving for my dad'

CBC News previously reported that Earl waited months to access a single day of adult day programming, then had to wait more for another one.

In its recommendations and findings summary, the WRHA acknowledges that by late November 2023, Earl wasn't able to attend the adult day programming he was part of.

"We acknowledge and apologize that your mother requested for your father to attend closer to home and have an additional day and was told these were not possible due to wait lists," the summary and findings report sent to Britt Moberg said.

It said "the opportunity was missed to consider alternative transportation suggestions" for day programming made by Moberg's mother, Brenda, who was also Earl's caregiver.

Britt Moberg also said the family only found out the day before that someone would be coming to provide Earl with his first day of home care on Dec. 12, 2023.

That prompted a WRHA recommendation to review respite protocols, recognizing that caregivers need timely and flexible support.

That recommendation could also help other families in the future, said Britt Moberg.

"If my mom had the opportunity to say, 'This is when I'm working, I'd really like someone to be there' … and also when my dad was more likely to wander and more likely to be confused, that certainly could have been life-saving for my dad," she said.

She's also pleased to see the recommendations include her family's suggestion to highlight the need for more support around safety planning and overall education with family members.

"It might be the first time you have a loved one with dementia diagnosed in your family, and [you might] not really be familiar with the process around that," she said. 

Family's involvement a 'big expenditure emotionally': WRHA

Speaking to the media Wednesday, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said the review into Earl Moberg's case was unique.

"We've never had a critical incident review where someone has left their home while they were in our care and not been located," said Wendy Singleton, the health authority's director of client relations and engagement.

Singleton also praised the Mobergs for their involvement in the process, noting it was optional but they became like "partners" in forming the recommendations.

"It's a big expenditure emotionally for them as well to keep talking about what's happened," she said. 

The recommendations will be tracked and eventually implemented, Singleton said.

Meanwhile, Britt Moberg has said she wants to check back in about a year to see that work is being done to implement the recommendations, which she said the health authority is open to. 

In the meantime, she's also working to see silver alerts — issued by police when a vulnerable adult is reported missing — broadcast to cellphones the way amber alerts for missing children are.

She has submitted a petition to the federal government to develop such a system. The petition has been sponsored by Winnipeg Conservative member of Parliament Raquel Dancho.

While the family believes Earl is dead, Britt also underscored the fact that he still hasn't been found. Her family hopes to one day give him a proper burial.

"I'm really hoping that at some point somebody out there will see something … and help us to have at least that sense of closure," she said. 

The hope, she said, is "to find out what actually did end up happening to dad, and can we help to lay him to rest with the dignity and respect that we want to give him."