An eighty-seven-year-old woman was asphyxiated after being strapped into a wheelchair in a Toronto Nursing home. Florence Rose Coxen, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, was placed in a chair and restrained by a large strap by employees of the leisureworld Caregiving Centre. When she struggled to slide free of her restraints, the strap caught at her throat and strangled her.

Police are investigating her death and touching on all the issues, including standard of care and any of the circumstances related to the treatment of Mrs. Coxon.

There are regulations about the use of restraints and staff must make hourly checks on the resident's safety, comfort and position of restraint. The rules require that the restraint be released and the resident be moved into another position every 2 hours.

Some people have blamed Mrs. Coxen's death on the overwhelming demands of an understaffed nursing home. Whatever the case may be, there is no excuse for a resident in a nursing home to be choked to death.

Nursing home abuse and neglect can happen to anyone at anytime. If you suspect that someone you care about has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, contact a nursing home abuse attorney right away by calling 1 800 ATTORNEY.