Transit van. Image: Randy Thoms/Acadia Broadcasting
A 64-year-old man from Stanley, N.S., has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm and failure to provide the necessities of life, following an incident earlier this month in which an elderly man was left unattended in a mobility van for several hours.
The charges stem from a June 11 incident involving an 81-year-old man who was reported missing after failing to return to his long-term care facility. He had last been seen that afternoon when picked up by a public transit service for a scheduled visit.
Later that evening, the man was found inside the same vehicle, which had been parked outside the care home. He was alone and in medical distress when discovered and was transported to hospital for treatment.
Police say the transportation service involved was not arranged through the provincial health system. The Department of Health and Wellness confirmed the trip was booked independently and occurred outside the oversight of the long-term care facility.
The accused is scheduled to appear in Shubenacadie provincial court on August 25.
The incident has raised broader concerns about the regulation and monitoring of non-emergency transport services for vulnerable populations.
