Looking Ahead
Lindsey died on July 16th, 2012. After investigating Lindsey's death for more than 4 years, the BC Coroner's Office denied an inquest into his death. We appealed this decision and were denied. We are continuously working on raising awareness, as Lindsey's tragic death was preventable and is not an isolated case. This type of negligence in supported housing and how folks with addictions/mental health issues are treated in hospitals is unjust and appalling, and must stop. To do that, changes must be made to the system.
We are seeking regulations and a standard of care for any type of government-funded supported housing program. For example, 24-hour wellness checks would be a standard policy of every housing program. Please see the BC Government's news release on our media page for the latest update as of 2024.
Lindsey's mom created a program called Got Your Back For Life that will help people look out for each other while living in supported housing. As of November 2018, this program was successfully piloted in Vancouver, BC. Due to COVID-19, the continuation of the program was halted, and is now in the works to be brought back again.
Hospitals need to include a standardized consent in the admissions form that will allow an emergency contact to be contacted if that person's illness/situation is life-threatening and they leave the hospital without warning.
These changes would save many lives. Lindsey's life could have been one of those saved by having these simple, effective standard practices in place.