Florence Girard香蕉视频直播檚 caregiver has told a British Columbia coroner香蕉视频直播檚 inquest she was deterred from getting help before Girard starved to death by policies about respecting the rights of people living under their home-sharing arrangement.

Astrid Dahl also says she was 香蕉视频直播渋n denial香蕉视频直播� when she noticed Girard香蕉视频直播檚 rapid weight loss in the months leading up to the death of the woman with Down syndrome in 2018.

Dahl says she first noticed Girard was losing significant weight in the summer, just months before she died weighing about 50 pounds.

But she says Girard would go into 香蕉视频直播渕eltdown香蕉视频直播� every time she was supposed to go to the doctor or receive medical care, and this influenced Dahl香蕉视频直播檚 decision to keep Girard at home instead of taking her to hospital as her condition worsened.

Girard lived at Dahl香蕉视频直播檚 home under a program for people with developmental disabilities overseen by the Kinsight Community Society after being contracted by the provincial Crown corporation Community Living BC.

Dahl has told the inquest she would approach things differently now, given Girard香蕉视频直播檚 death.

However, Girard香蕉视频直播檚 strong reactions against going to doctors as well as policies about respecting Girard香蕉视频直播檚 rights resulted in Dahl not getting her medical help.

香蕉视频直播淪he didn香蕉视频直播檛 want to go,香蕉视频直播� Dahl testified. 香蕉视频直播淎nd I was told, if Flo says no, she has rights. And she can say no, she doesn香蕉视频直播檛 want to do it, and I can香蕉视频直播檛 force her to do it. That香蕉视频直播檚 what it says in their handbook.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e had time to think these things and what could I have done differently for a long time, and there香蕉视频直播檚 many things I could have done differently,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淎nd that would be one of them.香蕉视频直播�

Dahl, who was convicted in 2022 for failing to provide the necessities of life, said she reported Girard香蕉视频直播檚 outbursts and refusal of medical care to managers at the organization but received no solutions.

The inquest that started on Monday is scheduled to continue until Jan. 22, when a jury is expected to deliberate on possible changes to the care system to prevent similar cases in the future.

香蕉视频直播淏ecause of her hatred of hospitals and doctors, I just thought if I could take care of her, she would bounce back,香蕉视频直播� Dahl testified on Tuesday.

香蕉视频直播淚 was in denial. I clearly know that now.香蕉视频直播�

Dahl said she decided as Girard香蕉视频直播檚 condition worsened that it was better to keep her at home instead of letting her die alone in hospice, because of the distress medical settings caused Girard.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e known her for 30 years,香蕉视频直播� Dahl testified. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 not going to let something horrible happen to her at the very end of 30 years. Why would I do that? Why would I care and love someone for 30 years and then turn around and just go, 香蕉视频直播極h well, who cares? Who gives a shit? Just put her in hospice. She香蕉视频直播檒l die by herself. Whatever.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚t didn香蕉视频直播檛 make sense to me at the time. It still doesn香蕉视频直播檛 make sense to me.香蕉视频直播�

Dahl told the inquest of first meeting Girard in 1990 when she started working at Kinsight香蕉视频直播檚 predecessor in a group-home setting, saying they 香蕉视频直播渉it it off香蕉视频直播� due to a shared 香蕉视频直播渃razy sense of humour.香蕉视频直播�

Dahl said Girard had challenges socializing with others at the group home, eventually leading to the house-sharing situation beginning in 2010.

香蕉视频直播淪he was asked if she wanted to come and live with me, and she said yes,香蕉视频直播� Dahl testified. 香蕉视频直播淪o she香蕉视频直播檇 known my family for the whole time I香蕉视频直播檇 work there, and she香蕉视频直播檇 known my son. He香蕉视频直播檇 grown up with her. So we were all tight-knit, if you will.香蕉视频直播�

Girard香蕉视频直播檚 sister told the inquest Monday that she would have looked after her sister had she received some sort of funding support, adding that Girard was kept in a bedroom suite at Dahl香蕉视频直播檚 home that was blocked off by a baby gate, with the movie 香蕉视频直播淭itanic香蕉视频直播� playing in the background at all times.

Dahl responded on Tuesday, telling the inquest that Girard 香蕉视频直播渉ad a fixation香蕉视频直播� on the movie and wanted the film on 香蕉视频直播�24/7.香蕉视频直播�

The baby gate, Dahl said, was for safety as it prevented Girard falling down the stairs.

Earlier on Tuesday, the president of a Down syndrome advocacy group in B.C. told the inquest that more funding is needed for parents and caretakers to avoid such tragedies.

Tamara Taggart told the inquest that parents and caretakers are under heavy financial pressure to provide services such as speech therapy, which can be life-altering for people with Down syndrome.

香蕉视频直播淭here is no support,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淵ou have to pay. You香蕉视频直播檙e on your own.香蕉视频直播�

Taggart, a former newsreader whose organization was launched in 2021 in direct response to Girard香蕉视频直播檚 death, said her own family had to pay $12,000 a year for therapy to help her son learn how to eat solid food, and the province provided no support in her case or other similar situations.

She said her family is in a position of privilege to be able to pay and live in Vancouver to access that care, but other families are shut out because of the high cost and lack of access.

香蕉视频直播淚 do this volunteer work so that everybody has equal access, and that parents don香蕉视频直播檛 have to quit their jobs to support their child,香蕉视频直播� Taggart said. 香蕉视频直播淭hey don香蕉视频直播檛 have to go bankrupt to support their child and, if I香蕉视频直播檓 being totally honest, they don香蕉视频直播檛 (have to) end up in a mental health crisis for sounding like a broken record about their child all the time.香蕉视频直播�