‘She froze to death,’ says grandson of woman found dead outside Laval seniors’ residence

A man is speaking out after his 88-year-old grandmother was found dead outside a seniors’ residence in Laval, Que., early Monday morning.

Laval police said they were called to the scene at 6:50 a.m. at 25 Promenade des Îles in the Chomedey district.

Jeanne Gohier was declared dead on site outside the Villagia de l’Île Paton residence. Police said they do not yet know the circumstances surrounding her death.

Marc-Olivier Naud, the woman’s grandson, told reporters on Monday that he can’t believe Gohier was able to exit the seniors’ residence without supervision, especially when the family pays $4,000 to $5,000 per month for her care.

“She froze to death,” Naud said, noting that his grandmother had a medical condition comparable to dementia. “Think about that. It doesn’t make any sense.”

WATCH | Woman’s family says this never should have happened:

Family demands answers after woman, 88, found dead in the cold outside Laval, Que., seniors’ home

Jeanne Gohier, 88, was found dead outside Villagia de l’Île Paton in the Chomedey district of Laval, Que. Her grandson says “she froze to death” and he can’t believe she was able to leave the building without supervision. Laval police say the circumstances surrounding her death are not clear.

Naud said Gohier was staying on the second floor of the seniors’ residence. He said the last time she left the home unsupervised was this summer, in the middle of the night.

The facility is described as a luxury residence with 281 units, including 42 units for those requiring assistance and 239 for autonomous residents.

The family found out about Gohier’s death after Naud’s brother read an article reporting that an 88-year-old woman had died at the residence, Naud said.

“I can’t believe people here would tolerate this,” he said.

The Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de Laval, the regional health authority that oversees the seniors’ residence, offered its condolences to the family in a statement.

It called the incident “devastating” and said it is taking the matter seriously but would not comment further out of respect for the deceased, her family and the ongoing investigation.

A spokesperson said that the case has been transferred to the coroner’s office.

It was -18 C in Laval at 7 a.m., according to Environment Canada.

The incident isn’t the first time this year that a senior in the greater Montreal area was found outside in cold temperatures near a long-term care home.

In February, an 89-year-old man was found suffering from hypothermia outside a seniors’ residence in Montreal’s Rivière-des-Prairies—Pointe-aux-Trembles borough.

Police said the man, who wasn’t dressed appropriately for the cold, exited the building through a window and was outside for “a few hours” before he was located.