A Family Left Without Answers
Ottawa is mourning a man whose death has exposed what his family calls a devastating failure in the city's homecare system. John LaCombe was found dead on the same day his homecare agency phoned his sister to inform her they were closing his file — the stated reason being that he hadn't been picking up the phone.
For his family, the timing is not a coincidence. It's a tragedy that could have been prevented.
"Heartbroken and angry" is how those close to LaCombe have described their feelings in the aftermath. The circumstances have prompted serious questions about the protocols homecare agencies follow when a vulnerable client goes silent — and whether a missed phone call should ever be grounds for abandoning someone who depends on care to survive.
What Homecare Is Supposed to Do
Homecare services exist to support people who cannot fully care for themselves — individuals recovering from illness, living with disabilities, or managing chronic conditions that make independent living difficult. In Ontario, these services are coordinated through Home and Community Care Support Services (formerly known as the LHINs), and are delivered by contracted agencies.
The system is meant to be a safety net. But critics and advocates have long argued that the net has significant holes — particularly when it comes to what happens when a client becomes unreachable.
For someone like LaCombe, a missed call shouldn't have been the end of the line. It should have been the beginning of a welfare check.
A System Under Scrutiny
LaCombe's death comes at a time when Ontario's homecare sector is already under pressure. Staffing shortages, missed visits, and inadequate oversight have been recurring issues raised by families and front-line workers alike. Advocacy groups have repeatedly called for stronger accountability mechanisms — including mandatory protocols for when clients don't respond.
The question his family is now asking publicly is a simple but devastating one: if the agency knew something was wrong — or at least unknown — why didn't anyone go to his door?
In Ottawa, where winters are harsh and social isolation is a real concern for many vulnerable residents, the stakes of getting this wrong couldn't be higher.
Calls for Change
LaCombe's sister, who received that phone call, has spoken out in the hope that her brother's death leads to systemic change. No family should receive a call saying a loved one's file has been closed, only to later learn that person was already gone.
Advocates are calling on the province to mandate in-person welfare checks when a homecare client is unreachable, rather than allowing agencies to simply close files. They're also pushing for greater transparency about how agencies document and respond to missed contact.
For now, an investigation into the circumstances of LaCombe's death is expected to shed more light on what happened — and what, if anything, the agency could or should have done differently.
Ottawa City Councillors and local MPPs have yet to comment publicly, but pressure is mounting for answers.
The Human Cost
Behind the policy debate is a man — a son, a brother — whose life ended alone, in circumstances his family believes were preventable. His death is a reminder that homecare is not just a bureaucratic service. For the people who depend on it, it is a lifeline.
Source: Ottawa Citizen. Original reporting by the Ottawa Citizen newsroom.
