New Brunswick Seniors Advocate Kelly Lamrock has released a follow-up report on recommendations made by his predecessor to the provincial government following a nursing home homicide.
“The active involvement of the Department of Social Development has resulted in significant advances in training, standards and investigative protocols,” said New Brunswick Seniors Advocate Kelly Lamrock.
The independent official, on the other hand, believes that the provincial government still has work to do to protect residents of care homes. He discusses possible progress in regulating interactions between establishments and families, the existence of a protocol concerning violence, communication to the public and the financing of inspections and investigation reports.
Previous Seniors Advocate Norman Bossé released 13 recommendations aimed at preventing violence between care home residents in January 2022.
The Ministry of Social Development has implemented two of them, it has offered alternatives for two others of them and has widely applied two of them. On the other hand, the ministry implemented three suggestions in a limited way and refused one, according to Mr. Lamrock.
Oblivion of public service
“The Ministry of Social Development has shown a reluctance to act, he denounced. Deference to the private nature of nursing homes has put older adults at risk, and in many cases this deference has had a chilling effect on reporting negative interactions for fear of retaliation.”
Mr. Lamrock urges the government to remember that care for the elderly is a public service mission, even if elected officials have chosen to entrust the offer to private organizations (non-profit associations and companies).
“Child care centers are strictly regulated and inspected. School districts report to the Minister of Education. Professions that involve public trust and an imbalance of power – doctors, lawyers, psychologists, massage therapists – are all subject to rigorous scrutiny. The same should be true for private long-term care facilities,” he insists.
The Advocate for Elders notes that it is public hospitals that care for vulnerable older people when nursing homes lack capacity.
“There is a culture of respect for private interests in long-term care, however denounces Mr. Lamrock. We have seen the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes insist that they help lead independent reviews, as if it were a normal thing.”
Defender Disorder
He expresses his distress at the Department of Social Development’s refusal to change care home standards to require their teams to be compassionate in their interactions, care and bereavement.
The government has denied that the existence of a lack of compassion for grieving families is a systemic problem. He added that he would exceed his mandate by imposing a regulation on this subject.
“It is to claim that the ministry is powerless to do so even if it is in the public interest. This clearly goes against the ordinary interpretation of the Act,” criticizes Mr. Lamrock.
The Seniors Advocate also notes that the government considers its role and authority to be limited in complaints from nursing home residents. He proposed to her to create a standardized process, to ensure that each establishment appoints an Independent Complaints Management Committee and residents or family committees. He considers the implementation of these recommendations to be weak.
Mr. Lamrock also noted that the Department of Social Development likely needs more resources for inspection and public reporting of aggregate data from inspections.
Preventable death
In January 2022, his predecessor released an investigation report into the homicide of a 91-year-old care home resident by another resident with dementia. Norman Bossé determined that the investigation by the Department of Social Development was superficial and inadequate.
“George’s death [nom fictif] could have been avoided. The nursing home should have intervened […] and provide more supervision,” he said.
2023-07-15 20:24:55
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