Following an inquest into the death of a hearing and speech impaired teenager, a coroner’s jury has recommended a health professional be hired at the Prince Albert Youth Residence.
Dylan LaChance of the Big River First Nation was found in medical distress at the facility in September of last year.
The 16-year-old was taken to the hospital where he later died of pneumonia.
During the inquest, staff members of PAYR said they had a difficult time communicating with LaChance because of his disabilities and were not able to understand what he was going through.
Many of them said a health professional at the facility would have helped them better determine his health needs at that time.
Angie Bear, a spokesperson for the LaChance family, says the recommendations were well thought out and will help the family move past this incident.
“Now, at least, Dylan has a voice,” said Bear. “It is not just the family grieving by themselves, but everybody knows what happened now and I think that is part of the healing that needed to happen.”
The jury also recommended that PAYR develop programs to allow their staff to better communicate with people with disabilities.
Bear said they may have been able to take that recommendation further.
“When we have someone who can’t communicate then maybe (PAYR) is not the right place for that person to be because how are they to function when everyone else can share and they can’t and their family is so far away?”
The jury also recommended PAYR to complete written documentation after every shift detailing important incidents during their shift.
It also recommended training in proper documentation.
As to whether the LaChance family has found closure through the process, Bear said some more healing needs to take place.
“It is going to be a long process because a lot has been said over the past couple of days,” said Bear. “How do you just take that all in in just one moment? You need to time to think about it and time to heal and to ask yourself what else I can do.”