T-Man
May 17th, 2008, 10:27 PM
Video:
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/grey_black_and_blue/
The greatest danger old people face in nursing homes? Other residents
Stories of elder abuse in long-term care facilities usually involve rogue staff. So you may be surprised to learn that the vast majority of violent assaults in Canadian nursing homes involve one resident attacking another.
You may be even more surprised to learn that the problem has been growing for years, and that one public report after another has recommended changes (to funding, to training, to institutional protocols) but that these recommendations have been systematically ignored.
In this episode, we take our cameras into several nursing homes in Ontario. We don't have to wait long to see the violence first-hand. As Erica Johnson reports, it's a complex problem with a complex solution, mostly dependent on funding.
On average there are now four attacks reported every day in Ontario. The Ontario government's own documents reveal that one in five nursing home residents is now considered "highly aggressive."
What to do if someone you love needs long term care
Before a move into a care facility:
1. Ask about assaults. Find out how frequently they happen, and what procedures are followed for intervention and prevention.
2. Ask about staffing levels. Ask how many of the staff are trained in handling patients with dementia. What is the staff to resident ratio?
3. Visit the home. Don’t do just one tour; also visit unannounced. Visit at different times including during meals and at night. Does the home smell? Are staff available? Are the residents lining up in the hallway or wandering around? Does there seem to be anything for residents to do?
4. Visit different floors. Ask to see different floors in a home, including any locked wards. If your request is refused, that is a good sign there may be problems on other floors. Generally the first floor has the residents with the fewest behavioural issues, because that location is closest to the door.
5. Talk to people. Does the home have a family council? Talk to people on the family council, talk to residents, talk to family members.
After move-in:
If you have questions or concerns about resident to resident abuse in a long term care home, first discuss your concerns directly with the home's administration.
If you witness an incident of abuse, immediately alert staff and make sure the incident is recorded in writing.
If your concerns are not addressed to your satisfaction, contact the ministry responsible for Long Term Care in your province.
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/grey_black_and_blue/
The greatest danger old people face in nursing homes? Other residents
Stories of elder abuse in long-term care facilities usually involve rogue staff. So you may be surprised to learn that the vast majority of violent assaults in Canadian nursing homes involve one resident attacking another.
You may be even more surprised to learn that the problem has been growing for years, and that one public report after another has recommended changes (to funding, to training, to institutional protocols) but that these recommendations have been systematically ignored.
In this episode, we take our cameras into several nursing homes in Ontario. We don't have to wait long to see the violence first-hand. As Erica Johnson reports, it's a complex problem with a complex solution, mostly dependent on funding.
On average there are now four attacks reported every day in Ontario. The Ontario government's own documents reveal that one in five nursing home residents is now considered "highly aggressive."
What to do if someone you love needs long term care
Before a move into a care facility:
1. Ask about assaults. Find out how frequently they happen, and what procedures are followed for intervention and prevention.
2. Ask about staffing levels. Ask how many of the staff are trained in handling patients with dementia. What is the staff to resident ratio?
3. Visit the home. Don’t do just one tour; also visit unannounced. Visit at different times including during meals and at night. Does the home smell? Are staff available? Are the residents lining up in the hallway or wandering around? Does there seem to be anything for residents to do?
4. Visit different floors. Ask to see different floors in a home, including any locked wards. If your request is refused, that is a good sign there may be problems on other floors. Generally the first floor has the residents with the fewest behavioural issues, because that location is closest to the door.
5. Talk to people. Does the home have a family council? Talk to people on the family council, talk to residents, talk to family members.
After move-in:
If you have questions or concerns about resident to resident abuse in a long term care home, first discuss your concerns directly with the home's administration.
If you witness an incident of abuse, immediately alert staff and make sure the incident is recorded in writing.
If your concerns are not addressed to your satisfaction, contact the ministry responsible for Long Term Care in your province.