Members from the ACE team (Action for the Care of the Elderly) met with the Health Minister, Maureen MacDonald and Premier Dexter yesterday afternoon. Bernice was our spokesperson and she did a wonderful job. Her dad was abused and assaulted while in the Aberdeen Hospital.
There at least is lip service from both the Premier and the Health Minister that our health care system is badly broken. They presented their viewpoint and tentative plans without getting defensive and blaming the previous administrations...and I for one really appreciated that.
In my opinion the ACE team had a few too many people there but that wasn't my decision and as long as Bernice and I were included I don't really care. We prepared a package of info to give to the Premier and the Health minister and of course we included our wish list.
When asked how we can help improve the situation the Health Minister responded that we should look to the local health boards. I didn't get a chance to ask her what the alternative would be...cause I don't think the local boards are too eager to have me/us on their board. I hope I am wrong but...
Showing posts with label abuse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label abuse. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Preparing for a Meeting with the Premier
We have a second meeting with the Premier of Nova Scotia to discuss the services provided to patients of Alzheimer's and their families. Many families are in the position of trying to care for a loved one who has dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease in their homes. There is a minimum of financial support and in some areas little community support.
With the number of Alzheimer's patients expected to double in the next few years it is essential that our health care system be changed so that it can deal with this increasing demand. We all know that our government is facing a financial challenge with a huge deficit looming BUT that is no reason to ignore the plight of Nova Scotians who are facing their own person challenge of Alzehimer's
If you have examples of recent events that will strengthen our cause please let me know by leaving a comment for this blog. I will not publish your email addresses or any personal information that you are not willing to share.
One voice is the start of a chorus...please join this chorus so we can bring change to a sick and ailing system.
Thanks.
With the number of Alzheimer's patients expected to double in the next few years it is essential that our health care system be changed so that it can deal with this increasing demand. We all know that our government is facing a financial challenge with a huge deficit looming BUT that is no reason to ignore the plight of Nova Scotians who are facing their own person challenge of Alzehimer's
If you have examples of recent events that will strengthen our cause please let me know by leaving a comment for this blog. I will not publish your email addresses or any personal information that you are not willing to share.
One voice is the start of a chorus...please join this chorus so we can bring change to a sick and ailing system.
Thanks.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Second Breath
The holidays are over, as is most of February. There are still serious problems in the health care system in our province. Patients are still waiting for long term care beds and families are still stressed and pulled almost beyond their resources.
My friend, whose father was bruised and abused at the Aberdeen Hospital last summer and fall, and I will be part of a delegation (for want of a better word) to meet with Premier Darryl Dexter on March 9th, 2010. This will be the second meeting with the Premier of Nova Scotia about the care, or lack of, provided to patients of Alzheimer's disease and those suffering from dementia.
The following is our list of requests...a bare minimum that we feel will improve the lot of many Nova Scotians.
1. That all staff having interaction of any kind with patients have training in how to deal with patients with Alzehiemer's Disease or Dementia. For example the 30 hour course that is available through the Alzehiemer's Society ... as the very least level of training acceptable.
2. That the wait list...wait time be reduced significantly. We know that there are 6000+ beds for long term care in the province and we know that there are over 1200 on a waiting list to receive a bed. That is as of October 9th. That is unacceptable. Most reasonably intelligent adults in this country realize that the population is aging, that dementia and Alzhiemer's are more prevelent in the elderly, and that there will be more demand for long term care in the immedately and foreseeable future. There are over 1200 families in crisis waiting for a safe, caring environment for their loved one. It is my understanding that there is currently only one individual in place to process applications for long term care beds. How can one individual do this on a timely basis? Maybe that is why it took from early June to early October for the application for Mr Williams to be admitted in a long term care facility to be processed and for him to be officially 'on the list'.
3.Home care support must be improved. Mr. Williams' widow was eligible for 40 hours of assistance each month to help with the home care of Mr Williams. That is almost an insult to a family that is dealing with the care of a loved one 24 hours each and every day. 10 hours a week really doesn't begin to address the problem.
4.The final aspect that demands immediate attention is the access to information and support services for the families. Yes there is currently a lot of information available, but when a family is struggling with the day to day business of living and caring for a loved one, they really don't have time to spend hours searching the internet or calling various agencies to see what services are available. A central clearing house of information (on the model of Cancer Care perhaps) needs to be established. A standard needs to be set and maintained.
These were, and continue to be, our requests.
Again, anyone reading this is asked to write a letter or email to the Premier of Nova Scotia or to the Health Minister asking for these four things to be put in place. One voice may not make a change, but all changes start with one voice.
Heath Minister
Department of Health
4th Floor, Joseph Howe Building
1690 Hollis Street
P.O. Box 488
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2R8
Phone: (902) 424-3377
Fax: (902) 424-0559
health.minister@gov.ns.ca
Premier Dexter Contact Information
Office of the Premier
7th Floor, One Government Place
1700 Granville Street
P.O. Box 726
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2T3
Phone: (902) 424-6600
Fax: (902) 424-7648
premier@gov.ns.ca
The course of action should be simple:
1. Identify the problems
2. Look at alternative solutions
3. Implement the solutions
My friend, whose father was bruised and abused at the Aberdeen Hospital last summer and fall, and I will be part of a delegation (for want of a better word) to meet with Premier Darryl Dexter on March 9th, 2010. This will be the second meeting with the Premier of Nova Scotia about the care, or lack of, provided to patients of Alzheimer's disease and those suffering from dementia.
The following is our list of requests...a bare minimum that we feel will improve the lot of many Nova Scotians.
1. That all staff having interaction of any kind with patients have training in how to deal with patients with Alzehiemer's Disease or Dementia. For example the 30 hour course that is available through the Alzehiemer's Society ... as the very least level of training acceptable.
2. That the wait list...wait time be reduced significantly. We know that there are 6000+ beds for long term care in the province and we know that there are over 1200 on a waiting list to receive a bed. That is as of October 9th. That is unacceptable. Most reasonably intelligent adults in this country realize that the population is aging, that dementia and Alzhiemer's are more prevelent in the elderly, and that there will be more demand for long term care in the immedately and foreseeable future. There are over 1200 families in crisis waiting for a safe, caring environment for their loved one. It is my understanding that there is currently only one individual in place to process applications for long term care beds. How can one individual do this on a timely basis? Maybe that is why it took from early June to early October for the application for Mr Williams to be admitted in a long term care facility to be processed and for him to be officially 'on the list'.
3.Home care support must be improved. Mr. Williams' widow was eligible for 40 hours of assistance each month to help with the home care of Mr Williams. That is almost an insult to a family that is dealing with the care of a loved one 24 hours each and every day. 10 hours a week really doesn't begin to address the problem.
4.The final aspect that demands immediate attention is the access to information and support services for the families. Yes there is currently a lot of information available, but when a family is struggling with the day to day business of living and caring for a loved one, they really don't have time to spend hours searching the internet or calling various agencies to see what services are available. A central clearing house of information (on the model of Cancer Care perhaps) needs to be established. A standard needs to be set and maintained.
These were, and continue to be, our requests.
Again, anyone reading this is asked to write a letter or email to the Premier of Nova Scotia or to the Health Minister asking for these four things to be put in place. One voice may not make a change, but all changes start with one voice.
Heath Minister
Department of Health
4th Floor, Joseph Howe Building
1690 Hollis Street
P.O. Box 488
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2R8
Phone: (902) 424-3377
Fax: (902) 424-0559
health.minister@gov.ns.ca
Premier Dexter Contact Information
Office of the Premier
7th Floor, One Government Place
1700 Granville Street
P.O. Box 726
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2T3
Phone: (902) 424-6600
Fax: (902) 424-7648
premier@gov.ns.ca
The course of action should be simple:
1. Identify the problems
2. Look at alternative solutions
3. Implement the solutions
Sunday, October 25, 2009
When Systems Fail and People Suffer
Life is not fair. This is not a surprise to me, in fact I routinely tell people just that. But over the past month I have had the unfortunate and very unpleasant experience of seeing just how unjust and unfair circumstances can be when a system that is meant to provide care and safety breaks down and the helpless become victims.
A man I never met is at the heart of my story. Mr Williams of Pictou County Nova Scotia was the father of a woman I both admire and respect. If she is an example of his values and his strengths he was a remarkable man. He was in his late 60's, not so many years older than my husband and myself. He must have worked and planned for the golden years, the years when his children were happy and grown, when he and his wife of decades could spend time together doing all those "someday'' things. You know the ones I mean, when we retire we will spend time with friends, volunteer at the church suppers, go on a trip etc. We all have the list.
Mr Williams had Alzheimer's disease, he had been a sufferer for over three years. This disrupted his life and his routines and the lives of those nearest and dearest to him. Alzheimer's makes us need the familiar, resist changes and it makes us frightened when we are placed in an unknown place or are around people we don't know. This summer Mr Williams suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized. He would not live to come home but for the remaining few months of his life, he was bruised and beaten on more than one occasion and his family members were put through untold agony and worry.
The fine Canadian health care system failed Mr Williams and his family. Or more specifically, the health care system of Pictou County Nova Scotia and our municipal, provincial and federal politicians failed Mr Williams.
The press following this story have brought out the facts. But where are our politicians, not just the keepers of our health care system but the very people who need to design and implement the changes and the policies.
Nothing will help Mr Williams but his family desperately need to know that changes will take place. They need to see improvements so that they will have some small comfort in the fact that the people who failed Mr Williams will not disappoint or damage another family.
Someone has been charged for the physical abuse Mr Williams suffered, the court date is in December. But the question should be asked, how did that person get to be in a position of trust in a hospital with ill patients who cannot defend themselves, in fact patients who in many cases have mental demons to fight.
I realize there are limited resources, that finances are tight in our province, that there is no magic wand to be waved and everything will be all right. Having a warm body available for a job, a position, or a volunteer post does not mean "we" should put the basic requirements for human safety and dignity aside because no other alternative is obvious. We all need to look for solutions that will not perpetuate a system that fails, we need to look beyond what is now commonly accepted and find the darkness lurking behind the scenes and get solutions in place. The population is aging and the face of society is changing. How will the increasing numbers of Alzheimer's sufferers be accommodated? How will the aging be cared for? When you are in your 70's and have lost the mind and body of your youth where will you be living and who will be offering you basic care?
For all the details please read the story www.ngnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=296985&sc=49.
A man I never met is at the heart of my story. Mr Williams of Pictou County Nova Scotia was the father of a woman I both admire and respect. If she is an example of his values and his strengths he was a remarkable man. He was in his late 60's, not so many years older than my husband and myself. He must have worked and planned for the golden years, the years when his children were happy and grown, when he and his wife of decades could spend time together doing all those "someday'' things. You know the ones I mean, when we retire we will spend time with friends, volunteer at the church suppers, go on a trip etc. We all have the list.
Mr Williams had Alzheimer's disease, he had been a sufferer for over three years. This disrupted his life and his routines and the lives of those nearest and dearest to him. Alzheimer's makes us need the familiar, resist changes and it makes us frightened when we are placed in an unknown place or are around people we don't know. This summer Mr Williams suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized. He would not live to come home but for the remaining few months of his life, he was bruised and beaten on more than one occasion and his family members were put through untold agony and worry.
The fine Canadian health care system failed Mr Williams and his family. Or more specifically, the health care system of Pictou County Nova Scotia and our municipal, provincial and federal politicians failed Mr Williams.
The press following this story have brought out the facts. But where are our politicians, not just the keepers of our health care system but the very people who need to design and implement the changes and the policies.
Nothing will help Mr Williams but his family desperately need to know that changes will take place. They need to see improvements so that they will have some small comfort in the fact that the people who failed Mr Williams will not disappoint or damage another family.
Someone has been charged for the physical abuse Mr Williams suffered, the court date is in December. But the question should be asked, how did that person get to be in a position of trust in a hospital with ill patients who cannot defend themselves, in fact patients who in many cases have mental demons to fight.
I realize there are limited resources, that finances are tight in our province, that there is no magic wand to be waved and everything will be all right. Having a warm body available for a job, a position, or a volunteer post does not mean "we" should put the basic requirements for human safety and dignity aside because no other alternative is obvious. We all need to look for solutions that will not perpetuate a system that fails, we need to look beyond what is now commonly accepted and find the darkness lurking behind the scenes and get solutions in place. The population is aging and the face of society is changing. How will the increasing numbers of Alzheimer's sufferers be accommodated? How will the aging be cared for? When you are in your 70's and have lost the mind and body of your youth where will you be living and who will be offering you basic care?
For all the details please read the story www.ngnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=296985&sc=49.
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