CANADA: Take care of elderly

Editorial SAULT STE-MARIE, Ontario (The Sault Star), March 13, 2008: We all want what's best for the elderly and frail in society. If you conducted a poll that asked whether we should improve the quality of care in our nursing homes it would be a resounding yes. But if the question mentions that improving care will require more money out of our pockets, many of us start to get wobbly in the knees. Reports that deteriorating conditions in Canadian nursing homes, where elderly and demented residents are allegedly attacking their caregivers in an ever-increasing spiral of violence, doesn't surprise a union representative at Sault Ste. Marie's largest long-term care facility. It's a question of resources and personnel shortages that lead to frustration, which results in violent outbursts. "Residents are agitated and frustrated at the lack of caregivers available for daily care; the lack of personal support workers means they (the workers) are overwhelmed with the number of residents they assist and the time they spend with each resident," said Christine Bird, the local CUPE representative at F.J. Davey Home. But what do we do? First, we can look to jurisdictions that appear to have a more successful approach. According to reports, Canadian nursing home workers are seven times higher than their counterparts in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden to be the victim of aggressive behaviour. What are they doing that we aren't? Let's recognize that the 2.6 hours of daily care in Ontario is not close to being acceptable. To be fair the Ontario government has been making progress, but we should accelerate the efforts. Finally, we may need to add another term to the lexicon describing social issues. Along with the familiar phrase "deadbeat parents," we could add deadbeat sons, daughters and family members. It may be tough to legislate, but taking care of family members who are getting older and sick is the right thing to do. It's a question of respect. Copyright: Osprey Media