No one should expect to live out their golden years in government-funded luxury, but seniors should be able to receive care that ensures a reasonable level of health and comfort.
That’s something the provincial government should keep foremost in mind as it reviews the quality of care delivered by government-funded long-term care homes for seniors.
Health Minister Terry Lake has asked his parliamentary secretary, Darryl Plecas, to conduct the review and examine how health authorities are funding seniors’ homes. That came in reaction to a report from B.C. seniors advocate Isobel Mackenzie that shows the vast majority of government-funded care homes did not meet Health Ministry guidelines for staffing in 2014-15.
The advocate’s report found 232 of the province’s 292 government-funded care homes did not meet the government’s guideline for staffing. The guideline stipulates a minimum of 3.6 hours of care per senior per day for assistance in such things as bathing, eating and toileting.
Mackenzie and Jennifer Whiteside of the Hospital Employees Union, which represents care aides in long-term seniors’ facilities, have called on the government to legislate minimum staffing levels.
But Lake said this week the guideline exists for planning purposes, and every person doesn’t need the same hours of care every day.
“I think every individual should be considered for their particular needs,” he said. “They are not widgets, they are people with individual needs based on their level of abilities and whatever situation they are dealing with.”
Lake is correct to focus on individuals, rather than numbers, because numbers seldom tell the whole story. But the numbers should not be ignored — they paint a picture that bears closer scrutiny.
For instance, analysis of the data from the seniors advocate shows an overuse of medication in care homes. A majority of seniors in the province’s care homes are being prescribed antidepressants and antipsychotics without having been diagnosed with depression or a psychosis, although that situation has improved.
Anecdotes abound about staffing hours being cut and the quality of care declining in long-term care homes. Mackenzie says the data support those anecdotes.
Whiteside says the figures show what the HEU has been saying for years, that care-home staff members are rushed in trying to care for seniors. They are concerned that seniors are suffering and workers are being placed in dangerous situations when seniors get violent.
And some seniors do get violent, the result of diminishing mental capacity. In the past four years in B.C., 16 seniors have been killed by other seniors who suffered from dementia. Injuries are common among care-home staff because of confrontations with violent patients.
Caring for dependent seniors is often difficult, and all the funding in the world won’t change that, but inadequate funding will make it worse. Care facilities should be more than geriatric warehouses; they should be places that provide comfort and compassion. But it’s a challenge for care-home personnel to administer compassion and provide adequate care when they are run off their feet.
The government regulates staffing levels for child care to ensure children are safe and properly cared for. As Mackenzie asks, why should it be different for seniors?
