Caregivers at the facility where Marie Geddes lived say her health just wasn't the same after her four-day hunger strike.
"It is a bit disconcerting that two or three weeks ago Marie was such a vital messenger," said Diane Hutchinson, a spokesperson for the Bethany Long-Term Care Centre in Camrose.
Geddes, a diabetic, went on a hunger strike in April after complaining that long-term care staff were too overworked, leaving residents waiting days for a bath.
The senior started eating four days after she began her hunger strike when her health began to falter. She was in and out of hospital three times before taking a turn for the worse.
Alberta's long-term care centres have come under scrutiny in recent weeks. In a recent report, Alberta's auditor general concluded that one third of the province's long-term care centres are failing basic standards, including adequate staffing.
Hutchinson said staffing shortages in long-term care facilities have been an issue for years.
"We've been working on this issue for years and I would say that Marie drew more attention to the issue in her four days than we have been able to draw in a couple of years."
The Alberta Long-Term Care Association had asked for an $86-million funding boost for long-term care facilities in the last provincial budget; it received $10 million.
According to Alberta Health, for the 14,000 residents in care facilities, there are 3,400 professionals and 9,500 aides. Ratios vary from region to region.
