Loved one in a BC nursing home? Time-sensitive!

[Hermes]

Office of the Seniors Advocate is ending up its 'nursing home' survey in a week.

Anyone besides me participate in this survey regarding residential care facilities? If you have a loved one in 'care' I encourage you to contact the Seniors Advocate right away. Surveys have to be in by month end. Residents were interviewed by volunteers and most frequent visitors were sent paper versions to do at home.

https://www.seniorsadvocatebc.ca/contact-us/

The wives and 'children' of elderly in the government-run care home where my mother is gripe a lot. And some of them are afraid: 'I don't want to make things worse by complaining.' I was glad to have the opportunity to detail my impressions of institutional senior care in BC.

Among my impressions were...

1. staff-resident ratio is poor, and gotten worse compared to six years ago

2. citizens in community get better medical care than in this institution. The attitude is basically 'last stop, this is where you die'. I always hear about 'remaining years in her life' like they have some crystal ball. I remember having to fight to get my mum a cancer test (she had it twice). The MD said "We don't normally aggressively screen for cancer in this population."

3. no local control (families, community etc) Family council is such a joke that almost no one goes. I want to discuss things more important than cookbooks and visits to the casino.

4. too pharmaceuticals oriented (negligible physiotherapy even)

5. too large a labour pool for positions (used to be advancement within facility, now from within entire Fraser Health system - this benefits union members but not residents the majority of whom have dementia and stable staff would be better)

6. Too many part time staff

7. Inadequate cooking facilities family can't prepare home-cooked meals on site

8. Nurses spend too much time on paperwork and care aides are rushed

9. Fee is 80% of income but no contractual obligations are met by facility (because there are none) - standards keep dropping

10. Unlike in Singapore and Taiwan there are no truly independent charity-run nursing homes - in BC there are only businesses (nothing against that as an option) and government-run places. I talked to two Filipinas who tried to set up even assisted living and the bureaucracy was so daunting they gave up.

11. The assigned doctors are wholesale doctors who rely on the nurses' treatments

12. Meetings with team are once a year. Count it, once every 365 days.

13. Family is not always consulted even when they have Power of Attorney or Representative Agreements. In India I see my specialist to tweak meds once every few weeks. Not here. And the practice is if they don't like your decisions, they take over. I feel like I am in the USSR.

There are good things of course -- I can visit my mum 24/7; recreation program is good; staff is acceptable (30% of staff are dedicated and compassionate, 40% OK; 20% I would put on probation, 10% I would fire immediately); nobody is forced to do anything; food has gotten better; after my complaining about non-enforcement staff now wear name badges.

Hey, but no use *bleep* Put your issues in black and white with the Seniors Advocate -- even if her salary is paid by Christie Clark.

[gordon_as]

Question : What is the name of the care facility she is in ?

[Hermes]

Question : What is the name of the care facility she is in ?

I will not say. Not in the Okanagan.

[maryjane48]

the only way get healthcare back on track is to boot the bclibs

[Hermes]

IMHO, other solutions, in fact bigger parts are social and medical, and it doesn't matter who is in political power.

Social: I blew it. And there are many other Canadians in the same position. If I had worked hard, bought property, maintained sibling harmony, invested wisely, etc I would have an extended family house to bring in my aged mother with private nursing care. Although I visit between her 13 and 18 hours per week, advocate on her behalf and monitor her health care (little things and big things always go awry) it's not enough and it's going to get worse as Alzhiemers 'progresses. I am the unmarried son without children of his own and it falls to me to do all the work. I mean on top of the skeleton crew at Fraser Health facility. Did you know that about 20% of residents are old men who have had strokes and their wives come in to hand feed them because there aren't enough staff or they get rushed?

I am the first to admit that I am a momma's boy and the only reason I am in Canada is to make an effort to reduce her suffering. You might be surprised how many residents get zero or negligible family visitors. I think it is shameful how when elders become useless they get warehoused. Seems to be a one-way street, parents sacrifice for their kids, and then when they need help, they get institutionalized. If this happened to children there would be moral outrage. There is only so much that paid strangers can do. I think Asians respect their seniors more. I see this as a cultural flaw. I don't care what your theology is, what I respect about many Christians (not all of course) is honouring the sixth commandment. Thus, the answer is not so much in public money but private commitment.

Medical: With all this advanced medical care and practical wisdom about not smoking, doing exercise etc means we are living into our late 80s and even 90s. A couple of generations ago wasn't everyone dying from heart attacks and diabetes? We need to solve the major diseases of the elderly (now dementia and cancer?) An alternative view however, is that we humans are living too long. I am not convinced we are 'meant to' live beyond 55-65. After our key productivity (especially reproductivity) years are over, maybe according to the grand scheme we should no longer be around. It certainly would save on public pensions!

[TylerM4]

Most of the readership here is serviced by Interior Health Authority.

I'm not sure how much your beef with Fraser Health Authority impacts services provided by IHA to Castanet's readership.

The reality is that healthcare everywhere is challenged. There is no magic fix, not many of us are willing to pay higher taxes. I really wish people would come with suggestions/solutions rather than just complaints and reguesting others complain with them. More money for residential care means more taxes or less money for other care areas.

[Hermes]

Most of the readership here is serviced by Interior Health Authority.

I'm not sure how much your beef with Fraser Health Authority impacts services provided by IHA to Castanet's readership.

The reality is that healthcare everywhere is challenged. There is no magic fix, not many of us are willing to pay higher taxes. I really wish people would come with suggestions/solutions rather than just complaints and reguesting others complain with them. More money for residential care means more taxes or less money for other care areas.

You make a very good point Tyler. Is the standard of care any better in Interior Health versus Fraser Health? My point however is that they can only do so much. So in one sense, it doesn't matter. The purpose of my post was not to complain about either monopoly healthcare corporations but to suggest other non-governmental solutions - staying in good health and family support.

[TylerM4]

I'd like to say the standard is better at IHA. But I honestly don't know.

I do know that patients in residential care are indeed viewed by most medical staff as "Patients waiting to die". I also know that many patients in residential care support that position. Many (not all) are ready for the end and would actually prefer to NOT have more medical interventions at that point. They're at the point where They'd rather let nature take it's course that prolong a sub-standard quality of living/life.

MOST patients - not all. Perhaps we could suggest some changes to group these types of patients together? Would be great to have a wing or unit of these like minded "You're going to have to drag me into the grave kicking and screaming" residents with staff trained to pay more attention to their long term care rather than just the short term.

Would also be a good time to perhaps do some soul searching yourself. Is more cancer testing in preparation for another cancer fight something *you* want or something your loved one wants?

[Hermes]

I'd like to say the standard is better at IHA. But I honestly don't know.

I do know that patients in residential care are indeed viewed by most medical staff as "Patients waiting to die". I also know that many patients in residential care support that position. Many (not all) are ready for the end and would actually prefer to NOT have more medical interventions at that point. They're at the point where They'd rather let nature take it's course that prolong a sub-standard quality of living/life.

MOST patients - not all. Perhaps we could suggest some changes to group these types of patients together? Would be great to have a wing or unit of these like minded "You're going to have to drag me into the grave kicking and screaming" residents with staff trained to pay more attention to their long term care rather than just the short term.

Would also be a good time to perhaps do some soul searching yourself. Is more cancer testing in preparation for another cancer fight something *you* want or something your loved one wants?

For me it's a private property/human rights issue. So, both the market economy and socialist perspectives are satisfied. It is up to the individual (or their representative) how much health care we choose to get. The problem with State-controlled healthcare (as in Canada, where rare among nations, we have no private alternative) is then politicians and to some extent doctors make the decisions because it is about public money and public policy. In my opinion, it should be up to me where I spend my healthcare dollars (in fact any dollars). If I want to take heroin that is my choice, as long as I don't expect the public to pay for or make decisions about my treatment. If I want to take mega-doses of vitamin C, it is not up to the State to determine whether that is prudent. If I want to smoke and live on chocolate cake and see a witch doctor every week -- likewise. If I want to live or die (and how I want to live or die), this is a personal decision. What I object to is the intermediary of the State. The government doesn't put a gun to my head and tell me I may not or must wear blue sweaters on Thursdays. I don't see medical care as any different than any other area of life. It's certainly not as essential as housing. The problem arises when government gets in the medical business and make its its exclusive domain. I have no problem with a safety net. But that 'help' can turn into a dragnet.

[techrtr]

Could be worse - they could be pushed out into the Arctic Ocean on an ice flow. Everyone is complaining about something. My in-laws pay $9000 a month (yes, you read that right) to live in a private care facility. It ain't no screaming he!! there. When I'm that age, as long as I have food, a tv, and a safe place to sleep at night, I'll be happy.