I have been keeping track of Senior Advocate Isobel Mackenzie’s reports, which are an excellent example of extensive research that outlines all aspects of the care our seniors receive in B.C.
Then I read her news release, which has received more attention than the actual report.
She has highlighted the rising problem of “resident-on-resident aggression” in care facilities, and stated she would be looking for “systemic issues” that contribute to this problem.
I am disappointed by this statement because the solution to this problem is contained within the information in her report, which she failed to mention in her news release. That is licensing violations have increased by 21 per cent since 2014; that the largest majority of those violations, at 44 per cent, are in the category of “care and supervision;” while 19.8 per cent in the category of “staffing.” In Assisted Living, the largest percentage of complaints are in the category of “resident abuse, neglect, and self abuse.”
Eureka! I have discovered the obvious solution to improving the quality of care for our seniors, that oddly enough, the entire health ministry has failed to notice or acknowledge. And those are: an increase in staff levels, mandatory evaluations for the “appropriate type” of employees, and more training for dealing with dementia-related issues.
All of these solutions can be found in a report that 90 per cent of B.C. citizens will never read.
Do you think that our tax dollars will now be saved because “looking for the systemic issues” should no longer be necessary?
Judy Galley
