Quality of care for the elderly?

What does that look like to you?

 

Speaking up for the elderly? What does that look like to you?

If you don’t speak up for the elderly, then who will?

At some point in time every one of us, most of us will end up in some sort of personal care home as required based on our physical and mental abilities.

Back in 2009, the issue in long-term care homes was addressed. Not much has changed.

Long-term care in Canada fails to treat either residents or care providers with dignity and respect. The single most important factor in this failure is the inadequate staffing levels. There are simply not enough people to provide quality care. The official data on staffing levels indicate that Canada does not meet the standards for the number of direct care providers established by experts as necessary for adequate care. Moreover, the official numbers often hide the fact that workers are not replaced when they are ill or on vacation, or when a vacancy occurs.

Many of the other problems long-term health care workers identify stem from this single issue of staffing. Residents, for example, often become violent towards care providers because they are frustrated beyond endurance with the lack of care. They sit in soiled diapers for hours because there are no workers available to answer their call. They are rushed through dinner because there are too many who need to be fed. Or they miss their bath because there are not enough staff the get everyone adequately bathed. And they sit in their rooms without exercise or conversation because the workers have no time to chat, to explain, or provide social support.

 

I think it takes courage to get old. If you think about it,

and I ask that you be honest with yourself, how would you feel watching your body slowly fade away over the years. The ability to do daily tasks? Simple tasks such as taking care of yourself in the bathroom. No one likes to think about that, I certainly don’t, but that’s the reality for us as we age and our mobility becomes limited and we require help in those areas of life.

The most important lesson from watching my father age well into his 90’s, and while he living in a care home, was the need for maintaining dignity, interpersonal relationships, and quality of life. Of course quality of life looks and feels different for everyone. What’s defined as ‘good enough for one may not be good enough for another.

From the last couple of years, there is no doubt for a Canadian-wide policy for each every care home ( for-profit and not-for-profit ).

We have seen with the Covid pandemic exactly how we, as a society, have taken care of our elderly. Pretty pathetic! Yes, there are pockets are fantastic care homes and yes there are pockets of terrible care homes where it’s more a business, all about the money and less about the individual resident and their quality of life. I have seen bullying and humiliation of residents by staff, bullying between staff and residents, and bullying between staff members, all of which are devastating. Thankfully my family members in the care home did not experience that type of abuse. Mainly because they had advocates (Family members speaking up) and they were able to speak up for themselves. Sadly this is not always the case for many elderly residents. However, being an advocate for my family who has died,  doesn’t mean the end of speaking up for those who have no one to advocate for their safety and good mental, physical health, and dignity.

Remember the care home is supposed to be our  ‘home away from home.   But is it really?

Ask yourself is this what you see when you visit your family in a care facility? If you see something and say nothing,  then you were part of the problem. And from my experience with bullying that is one of the main reasons why there are no changes and our elderly have been neglected. The serious threat of speaking up and then fear of retaliation against our family members is the reality.

The more people who speak up the greater the chance of positive changes. Our Provincial government has failed miserably and I am very skeptical about any immediate changes. This is where your voice comes in, sending letters, speaking up, showing up, demanding better quality of food, visitations, activities, and quality of life for all residents in all care homes.

Look around you and ask yourself if the care home in your community, which is where you’ll probably end up, is the place where you want to live your last few years of life? If the answer is yes that’s great, if the answer is no then you have a right to speak up with your vote to create positive change for the next generation of elderly which is you and me.

Remember it’s not what you say but how you say it in creating positive changes. If no one says anything then nothing changes and pandemic or no pandemic we have the same situation in our care homes. Lack of support, lack of nurses, lack of activities, lack of dignity, poor quality of food and care, our elderly die feeling hopeless, voiceless and helpless.

Do you trust those in power to do the right thing for our elderly?

National, local advocates applaud the creation of the Manitoba department dedicated to seniors.

Do we really need another committee to tell us a year from today and thousands of dollars spent to only agree there is a problem in the care homes? Let us see some real action. No more denial and excuses.

Seniors care was previously the responsibility of Audrey Gordon, as was mental health and community wellness.

Gordon remains as health minister, with Sarah Guillemard — previously the minister of conservation and climate — taking over responsibility for mental health and community wellness.

Laura Tamblyn Watts is the founder and CEO of CanAge, a national seniors’ advocacy organization, and she hopes the department’s creation brings important change.

She believes this creates the opportunity for a meaningful and sustained dialogue about aging issues in the province.

“It is a particularly important time for this minister to be appointed with the ravages of COVID-19 hitting the seniors’ population, but we all know that the population of Manitoba is rapidly aging,” Tamblyn Watts said.

“This is a step to make sure that this government is working with seniors’ advocacy organizations and other resources in the field to design the Manitoba that will be the best place to age.”

Remember none of us is escaping getting old. From my perspective, it is a privilege and takes courage. I embrace the opportunity to reach the age of my father of 97, my aunt of 101, uncle 103. Using my voice to continue to speak up for improvements in the quality and dignity of residence in all care homes across this country. Again if no one says anything nothing changes and we will all be in that same situation at some point in our life. Illness, accidents, ageing, we can end up in a hospital or care home.

Think about it where do you want to live, how do you want to live and how do you want to die, in comfort or alone and in despair?

Everyone has a choice in whether they want to speak up and be part of this conversation or say nothing and be part of the problem. There is a special gift we can give to those who spend time in care homes, it is called living their best life to the very happy end.