tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post7181474626273338596..comments2024-03-28T04:04:03.006-07:00Comments on Paying attention: Seniors’ care recommendations snubbed by governmentUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-77727441607653706702011-04-17T18:54:03.644-07:002011-04-17T18:54:03.644-07:00Please would these people who comment comment with...Please would these people who comment comment with a contact address so I know I am not alone.<br />audreylaferriere@yahoo.caAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-71312671921275225772010-01-14T21:39:29.391-08:002010-01-14T21:39:29.391-08:00The problems at seniors' care facilities are o...The problems at seniors' care facilities are only beginning. Vancouver Coastal Health is replacing experienced RNs with lesser qualified practical nurses. This is definitely in the works for Evergreen House at Lions Gate Hospital and, presumably, for all other extended care units.<br /><br />More here:<br /><br />http://northerninsights.blogspot.com/2010/01/trouble-brewing-in-seniors-care.htmlNorm Farrellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06762889793990336381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-48761872784224449742010-01-14T08:53:44.873-08:002010-01-14T08:53:44.873-08:00I agree with StandupforBC's posting above whic...I agree with StandupforBC's posting above which certainly reflects my own experience with a parent in eldercare.<br /><br />a) doping up residents with off-label use of antipsychotics with serious, life-threatening life effects.<br /><br />b)in one ward of the hospital, not feeding seniors. Food would be set in front of seniors who were too weak or too befuddled to lift off the saran wrap to eat. The untouched trays would be whisked away. Also staff and patients were constantly rotating through the ward, so no one staff was responsible for patient X. Patients were dying all the time. I wonder how not being fed contributed to the mortality. <br /><br />A girlfriend, in another part of the province (same health authority though) observed the same thing happening while she was caring for her dying father in hospital for four months. She would take off the saran wrap and lids for the seniors but staff didn't and no staff helped patients eat.<br /><br />Then several years ago, my grandparent was in hospital for seven months with an undiagnosed broken hip because the same radiologist kept making the same mistake in viewing the three sets of X-rays. Her pain complaints were ignored, she was forced to have physical therapy on a broken hip. The hospital refused to do an MRI.<br /><br />And she shut up, she was afraid she would end up being taken out of her home and shipped off to an old folks home. Then her hip reset incorrectly and then she had to have hip surgery in her 90s to fix her hip. No apologies from the hospital or the radiologist. <br /><br />My grandmother had lots of caring family to look for her, as does my parent who is care. Without caring family, the over-worked staff, doing the best they can, come up short for many, many patients. Whether that is washing, providing wheelchairs, or food.<br /><br />The Ombudsman report is a laughable farce. Bill of Rights and a website? not even close.<br /><br />How about audits and inspections, advocates for seniors without families, more staff AND NOT GIVING SENIOR CARE TO FOR PROFIT COMPANIES who fire and rehire staff at will.<br /><br />And oh yeah, Gordo's gang has made things worse for seniors in care, not better. <br /><br />Icing on the cake? upping the amount charged for spouses in care leaving some spouses at home in near poverty.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-46948947417076336212010-01-14T03:00:02.015-08:002010-01-14T03:00:02.015-08:00Paul, your column is very welcome. I attended seve...Paul, your column is very welcome. I attended several of Kim Carter's open forums on the Inquiry. <br /><br />The Ombudsperson's office has whitewashed far more serious matters including crimes in nursing homes -- physical and sexual abuse of residents, widespread use of the most powerful antipsychotics to make residents docile (and which have very disturbing side effects), staff raging against family members, records falsified, drugs disappearing, banning family members from facilities... Poor food is the least of it. <br /><br />The Ombudsperson's recommendations were luke-warm, and some, downright laughable.<br /><br />As you say, "investigators went into 50 homes around the province." Sounds good, right? Except for one thing, these were not unannounced visits. It's a common inside joke when Accreditation Canada comes around every 3 years to these places. Everyone's on their good behavour; things are at their best while "company" is present. Many of her public forum atttendees urged Ms. Carter to conduct unannounced investigations. Apparently, she didn't think that was necessary.<br /><br />I heard Ms. Carter being interviewed shortly after this report was released. When asked what specific recommendations she was proudest of, she said that nursing homes were now required to post residents' rights where everyone could see them. Such a poster has been prominently displayed for the last year in the nursing home where my mother reported being sexually assaulted by staff. Her complaint was "investigated" by the care facility themselves (no police), and they concluded they could "not determine that anything occurred" despite actual evidence to the contrary. <br /><br />Last month, an elderly woman was raped in Surrey Hospital, and similarly, the hospital "investigated" the crime themselves, did not inform police, and ultimately did nothing. Six months later, only when the family went to the media did the police step in. <br /><br />Regarding medication errors, the report cites the case of a woman who found her mother experienced five medication errors in less than one year. The report states: <i>If there had been a bill of rights in British Columbia that specifically established a right to be protected from abuse and neglect, Emily would have been able to assert this right in her complaints to the facility and the health authority.</i><br /><br />Nonsense. <br /><br />At my mother's facility which publicly displays the resident's bill of rights, the CEO, the Director of Medical Care, and the Director of Care all refused to acknowledge complaints of over-medication of my mother, including over a dozen medication errors within six months. Independent doctors and pharmacologists confirmed our concerns, but the only response we received from this facility to our politely expressed concerns was a letter from their lawyer saying that all staff had been directed not to talk to me about my mother's medical care.<br /><br />By the way, one of the lawyers who sits on the board of this care facility is with a firm that is a prominent member of the BC government's Elder Law working committees which are, as we speak, quietly re-writing all the elder laws in BC. No one in the media has yet cottoned on to what's really happening beneath the surface with various laws affecting seniors. <br /><br />The issues of daily fee increases and the poor quality of food pale in comparison to the actuall horrors that await unwitting people (and their unwitting loved ones) as they clamour to enter these "care" facilities. My mother is in "one of the best", a flapship routinely cited for how lovely it is. Outward appearance makes little difference to the real quality of life "enjoyed" in these places.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-70640954964905597182010-01-13T23:50:28.591-08:002010-01-13T23:50:28.591-08:00Hi there, very critics post you have here. I start...Hi there, very critics post you have here. I started to realize many people start to pay a close attention to what government do as they are the tax payer. Nice blog<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><a href="http://step-by-step-golf-swing.net" rel="nofollow">Step by Step Golf Swing</a>Step by Step Golf Swinghttp://step-by-step-golf-swing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-84677999187665445392010-01-13T21:34:30.285-08:002010-01-13T21:34:30.285-08:00Sincere thanks, Paul, for delving into this topic ...Sincere thanks, Paul, for delving into this topic which most of us never think about.<br /><br />Our family right now is confronted with the need to find a decent place for an elder who may need its facilities for 6 months or 6 years, who knows? <br /><br />And the research tools? Not much help there. It's really quite scary when the government of the day is capable of chopping away services without warning, no matter how well we try to plan. <br />.BC Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16597928683019021273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-29446820973135560892010-01-13T14:25:14.651-08:002010-01-13T14:25:14.651-08:00Not to be trite, but if somehow those residential ...Not to be trite, but if somehow those residential care places could be linked to the big circus the money would soon be in place. <br />The older folks without a lot of moeny end up in substandard places with limited staff, and the government keeps bragging about all those beds they opened.DPLnoreply@blogger.com