Florence Girard91裸聊视频檚 caregiver has told a British Columbia coroner91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渋n denial91裸聊视频� when she noticed Girard91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渕eltdown91裸聊视频� every time she was supposed to go to the doctor or receive medical care, and this influenced Dahl91裸聊视频檚 decision to keep Girard at home instead of taking her to hospital as her condition worsened.

Girard lived at Dahl91裸聊视频檚 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 Girard91裸聊视频檚 death.

However, Girard91裸聊视频檚 strong reactions against going to doctors as well as policies about respecting Girard91裸聊视频檚 rights resulted in Dahl not getting her medical help.

91裸聊视频淪he didn91裸聊视频檛 want to go,91裸聊视频� Dahl testified. 91裸聊视频淎nd I was told, if Flo says no, she has rights. And she can say no, she doesn91裸聊视频檛 want to do it, and I can91裸聊视频檛 force her to do it. That91裸聊视频檚 what it says in their handbook.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e had time to think these things and what could I have done differently for a long time, and there91裸聊视频檚 many things I could have done differently,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淎nd that would be one of them.91裸聊视频�

Dahl, who was convicted in 2022 for failing to provide the necessities of life, said she reported Girard91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淏ecause of her hatred of hospitals and doctors, I just thought if I could take care of her, she would bounce back,91裸聊视频� Dahl testified on Tuesday.

91裸聊视频淚 was in denial. I clearly know that now.91裸聊视频�

Dahl said she decided as Girard91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e known her for 30 years,91裸聊视频� Dahl testified. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 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, 91裸聊视频極h well, who cares? Who gives a shit? Just put her in hospice. She91裸聊视频檒l die by herself. Whatever.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚t didn91裸聊视频檛 make sense to me at the time. It still doesn91裸聊视频檛 make sense to me.91裸聊视频�

Dahl told the inquest of first meeting Girard in 1990 when she started working at Kinsight91裸聊视频檚 predecessor in a group-home setting, saying they 91裸聊视频渉it it off91裸聊视频� due to a shared 91裸聊视频渃razy sense of humour.91裸聊视频�

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

91裸聊视频淪he was asked if she wanted to come and live with me, and she said yes,91裸聊视频� Dahl testified. 91裸聊视频淪o she91裸聊视频檇 known my family for the whole time I91裸聊视频檇 work there, and she91裸聊视频檇 known my son. He91裸聊视频檇 grown up with her. So we were all tight-knit, if you will.91裸聊视频�

Girard91裸聊视频檚 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 Dahl91裸聊视频檚 home that was blocked off by a baby gate, with the movie 91裸聊视频淭itanic91裸聊视频� playing in the background at all times.

Dahl responded on Tuesday, telling the inquest that Girard 91裸聊视频渉ad a fixation91裸聊视频� on the movie and wanted the film on 91裸聊视频�24/7.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淭here is no support,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淵ou have to pay. You91裸聊视频檙e on your own.91裸聊视频�

Taggart, a former newsreader whose organization was launched in 2021 in direct response to Girard91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淚 do this volunteer work so that everybody has equal access, and that parents don91裸聊视频檛 have to quit their jobs to support their child,91裸聊视频� Taggart said. 91裸聊视频淭hey don91裸聊视频檛 have to go bankrupt to support their child and, if I91裸聊视频檓 being totally honest, they don91裸聊视频檛 (have to) end up in a mental health crisis for sounding like a broken record about their child all the time.91裸聊视频�