Comments on: Government practices force neglect of elders

By: Still mourning...

Still mourning... — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:12:19 +0000

I relive the terrible way my dad died in a long-term care home in 2005. He had evolving, escalating health challenges stemming from childhood heart damage. He was infected in hospital with C difficile and two months later he died of multiple organ failure. At the time, there were no palliative beds available so he was admitted temporarily to long term care for “repite”. His last dinner was salty soup and cheesies. No doctor saw him in those 4 days. He died at 3 AM and I waited 25 minutes for the one nurse and assistand on duty (for 70 residents) to come to his room. His doctor failed, the hospital failed, the end of life services failed and long term care failed. I blame Interior Health managment and fear little has changed. I am especially worried for seniors suffering dementia or who are alone.

By: kaslogirl

kaslogirl — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 06:40:11 +0000

Kingsley, I am sorry for the over-generalization. It was made more to make the point that these 3 agencies, because they are each somewhat independent of government control and accountability, have a lot of internal corruption and do not always get their job done right because of vested interests. In my opinion, the Human Rights Tribunal is the worst, while the Privacy Commissioner is fairly much doing his job properly, but does not have a lot of power.

The Human Rights Tribunal is an administrative tribunal.
The Ombudsman is a statutory officer of the legislature.
The Information and Privacy Commissioner is an office established by statute (FIPPA, 1993).

Thank you for being more precise.

By: Kingsley

Kingsley — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 04:56:01 +0000

Kaslogirl: I can’t let your comments go unanswered. You obviously don’t understand the role of an Officer of the Legislature. The Ombudsman, Information and Privacy Commissioner, etc. are NOT adminstrative tribunals. Nothing like them.

So there is no appeal of an adminstrative tribunal decision as far as they are concerned. You appear to have the Officers of the Legislature confused with the Human Rights Tribunal which is completely different in role and structure.

As Officers of the Legislature they report to the legislature. They are independent and do not take direction from the government of the day. If they see problems, issues, unfairness, they can comment publicly. But to say they are accountable to no one, and that is somehow a negative, shows an odd interpretation of what independence means.

You claim that you have experience with these agencies, and you argue against Norm MacDonald’s suggestion for a Representative for Seniors. But your lack of basic knowledge betrays the fact that you in fact have had NO experience with these agencies. Your argument in response to Mr MacDonalds suggestion is based on a complete lack of understanding of the roles of the current Officers.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:56:11 +0000

For anyone who is interested, HEU (Hospital Employees Union) has launched a Stand Up for Seniors campaign…. you can get all the information you need by going to..

http://www.standupforseniorscare.ca/

By: Sharon Wass

Sharon Wass — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 03:51:08 +0000

Good Question Chris,
I respect Norm Macdonald for going to bat for our seniors. He has been hard at it for over a year. When I was having issues surrounding the care and residential decision regarding my 96 year old friend last year, Norm was there for us and has already been hard at work on this and many other local issues. Norm has my vote and I encourage anyone else to contact Norm themselves or talk to a few of the many locals who have benefitted from his hard work.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 07:50:32 +0000

I am very curious as to why we have had no Liberal response to this article. Do they not care? Is this issue not high on their priority list? Is it on their agenda at all? Or are they at a loss for words with regards to the mess they have gotten us in?

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:36:27 +0000

Rest easy, Farmgirl. WE will initiate a follow-up. WE will see whether or not these hours are not only sufficient hours, but actual hours. Do these residents get the time they are supposed to be getting, the time they deserve? That’s what we need to find out. Whether it’s 2.1 or 3.2……. And I don’t know that the NDP has the answer, or the Green Party or the Conservatives. I do know that the Liberal Party doesn’t. If they did, we wouldn’t be in the shape we’re in. And if you want to know what shape we’re in….ask someone who works in the system. Ask the front line workers. Ask the people who were not allowed to participate in the ‘Conversations on Health’.

By: Farmgirl

Farmgirl — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:08:58 +0000

2.3 to 3.4 hrs per senior care. We are following like geese. We pay for our govt.s salaries and we allow them to decide such matters of hourly care for our seniors. Do you see any follow up to see what care they are actually receiving? Have they questioned if these are adequate numbers for proper care of human beings. I could sit in an office somewhere and make decisions too. They will continue to decide for us if we let them. I vote for proper care of seniors, they have earned it!!!!!!! How about you???????????

By: Ken Robinson

Ken Robinson — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:48:42 +0000

Local autonomy and local volunteer health boards were all disbanded and the board members essentially fired soon after the BC Liberal’s were elected in 2001.
The Liberal’s also fired many Non-profit society boards so they could takeover the Long Term facilities. They then closed the public Long Term Care beds paving the way for privatization. With no local autonomy or voice, which had all been strategically removed, the Liberal’s have been free to restrict Seniors care and not keep their Long Term Bed promise of 5000 beds.
This has a huge negative impact on health care in the interior and rural areas. Currently, a huge percentage of hospital beds in the Region are being used by Seniors who require alternative care. This has created a situation where all hospitals have hallway patients (never required before Liberal’s were elected) and if you have had a loved ones surgery cancelled, it all goes back to this issue and it’s great that Chris Synder as raised it.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 08:46:13 +0000

I hear ya, LS. I come home at times just crying because I know that there were lonely, old, and scared people under my care that needed my attention…and I didn’t have the time to tend to them. I had too many people to look after…and not enough time to go to each of them. Sometimes it makes me wonder why I am doing this job. It certainly isn’t for the money. And a day at work definitly, isn’t a ‘good time’. I do it because I care. If I can make any kind of difference in the last few hours or days or weeks of someone’s life, I want to be there. I know that someday it will be me…lying there, in that bed…scared and alone….and I would like to think that there will be someone there, to hold my hand and tell me that it will be ok….. This is why we do this kind of work. Who else can hold the hand of a dying person while they make that last transition and then come back again tomorrow and do the same thing….over and over again….. We do it because we care………..