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.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
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
Saturday, December 12, 2009
A response to my emails
Finally on December 10th I received a response from the Minister of Health. Although I'm not sure what it says...more to follow on the findings under the investigations re the Protection for persons in care act...not very helpful and certainly not what I expected.
Dear Ms. O’Connell:
Thank you for your e-mails to the Honourable Darrell Dexter and me,
dated October 30, 2009, regarding the qualifications of staff working
with patients at the Aberdeen Hospital in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.
The Premier has asked that I respond on his behalf.
Please be assured we take all complaints of abuse seriously. In October
2007, the Protection for Persons in Care Act was proclaimed, which is an
extra safeguard for patients or residents 16 years of age or older
receiving care from Nova Scotia’s hospitals, residential care
facilities, nursing homes, homes for the aged or disabled persons under
the Homes for Special Care Act, or group homes or residential centres
under the Children and Family Services Act.
The Department of Health ordered an investigation regarding this
incident under the Protections of Persons in Care Act.
I am reviewing the recommendations from this investigation, and if
deemed necessary to protect patients/residents from abuse, further
directives may be issued to the facility. Such directives, when
warranted, could include staff participating in training and/or
education sessions.
Thank you for taking the time to bring your concerns forward.
Yours truly,
Maureen MacDonald
Minister
c: The Honourable Darrell Dexter, Premier
Dear Ms. O’Connell:
Thank you for your e-mails to the Honourable Darrell Dexter and me,
dated October 30, 2009, regarding the qualifications of staff working
with patients at the Aberdeen Hospital in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.
The Premier has asked that I respond on his behalf.
Please be assured we take all complaints of abuse seriously. In October
2007, the Protection for Persons in Care Act was proclaimed, which is an
extra safeguard for patients or residents 16 years of age or older
receiving care from Nova Scotia’s hospitals, residential care
facilities, nursing homes, homes for the aged or disabled persons under
the Homes for Special Care Act, or group homes or residential centres
under the Children and Family Services Act.
The Department of Health ordered an investigation regarding this
incident under the Protections of Persons in Care Act.
I am reviewing the recommendations from this investigation, and if
deemed necessary to protect patients/residents from abuse, further
directives may be issued to the facility. Such directives, when
warranted, could include staff participating in training and/or
education sessions.
Thank you for taking the time to bring your concerns forward.
Yours truly,
Maureen MacDonald
Minister
c: The Honourable Darrell Dexter, Premier
Sunday, December 6, 2009
No time, no help
Yesterday, during a Christmas celebration, I heard a story that shook everyone there. One of the attendees shared a story about her mother's time in a nursing home...she had Alzheimer's Disease. The lady telling the story had been released from hospital after having a breast removed for Cancer and she was visiting her mother in the care facility. Her mother recognized her and as soon as she entered the room asked her daughter to help her to the bathroom. Because of the recent surgery her daughter couldn't help, but she went to the desk and asked for assistance...three times. Then she was told, "Tell her to use her diaper, that's what it is for".
This incident happened some time ago, and things MAY have changed...or not. I sincerely hope they have.
This incident happened some time ago, and things MAY have changed...or not. I sincerely hope they have.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Meeting for Monday December 7, 2009
I just received an email advising me of a meeting with the Minister of Health set for Monday December 7, 2009. The ACE team arranged the meeting to discuss several health issues concerning care of the elderly in the Nova Scotia Health Care System.
Hopefully the meeting will be a productive one.
Hopefully the meeting will be a productive one.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Meetings, meetings...
I had the opportunity to attend a meeting of the ACE team. ACE is a group lobbying for changes in our health care system. Advocates for the Care of the Elderly. They are seeking quality living conditions for the elderly in Long Term Care. Each member has a personal reason for working with the team...just as I do. My motivation is to make sure no one else is treated the way Mr. Williams was treated by the Staff and Management at Aberdeen Hospital. The ACE team have requested a meeting with the Premier and the Health Minister. I am hoping that will give us face time with the leaders of our provincial government.
There is also a meeting scheduled for tomorrow (November 23rd) with Gary Ramey, the MLA for Lunenburg West.
I have not received any response from the Minister of Health regarding my email that I sent to her office on October 30, 2009. I would have expected an acknowledgement by now. The Premier did respond saying that he had asked the Minister of Health to respond to my questions.
There is also a meeting scheduled for tomorrow (November 23rd) with Gary Ramey, the MLA for Lunenburg West.
I have not received any response from the Minister of Health regarding my email that I sent to her office on October 30, 2009. I would have expected an acknowledgement by now. The Premier did respond saying that he had asked the Minister of Health to respond to my questions.
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Very Least ...
I wish:
1. That all staff having interaction of any kind with patients have training in how to deal with patients with Alzheimer's Disease or Dementia. For example the 30 hour course that is available through the Alzheimer'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 Alzheimer's are more prevalent in the elderly, and that there will be more demand for long term care in the immediately 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.
Oh and are we, the tax payer, getting value for the billions of dollars being pumped into our health care system each and every year? What nasties lie under the rocks that are just waiting to be turned over?
1. That all staff having interaction of any kind with patients have training in how to deal with patients with Alzheimer's Disease or Dementia. For example the 30 hour course that is available through the Alzheimer'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 Alzheimer's are more prevalent in the elderly, and that there will be more demand for long term care in the immediately 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.
Oh and are we, the tax payer, getting value for the billions of dollars being pumped into our health care system each and every year? What nasties lie under the rocks that are just waiting to be turned over?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
How could this happen?
I have written a few blogs about Mr Williams, the gentleman with Alzheimer's disease who passed away a little over a month ago while in the Aberdeen Hospital waiting for a long term care bed. He was assaulted by a commissaire and bruised and bullied ... there are other questions that need to be asked.
He was in a storage room for four days, eight hospital shift changes. The staff on eight shifts came and went and knew he was in a storage room...why was nothing done? Someone must have said to themselves..."Why is a patient stuck in a storage room with broken equipment and no pathway to the only window in the room?"
Why didn't one person find this unacceptable? Why was he left there until his family complained?
Is there not a minimum standard of care? Are there not basics that we can expect in a hospital?
I know the health care system in this province/country is badly in need of overhaul. I know we have a "new" government that inherited problems from previous administrations but how long must we as tax payers accept excuses for people not receiving the basic of the basics. A storage room for FOUR DAYS...give me a break! That is unacceptable.
What will be done to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else?
He was in a storage room for four days, eight hospital shift changes. The staff on eight shifts came and went and knew he was in a storage room...why was nothing done? Someone must have said to themselves..."Why is a patient stuck in a storage room with broken equipment and no pathway to the only window in the room?"
Why didn't one person find this unacceptable? Why was he left there until his family complained?
Is there not a minimum standard of care? Are there not basics that we can expect in a hospital?
I know the health care system in this province/country is badly in need of overhaul. I know we have a "new" government that inherited problems from previous administrations but how long must we as tax payers accept excuses for people not receiving the basic of the basics. A storage room for FOUR DAYS...give me a break! That is unacceptable.
What will be done to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
A Time to Remember
I had the opportunity this week to view the DVD 'A Time to Remember'. It was put together by the Royal Canadian Legion, Bridgewater branch and was the brain child of Dan Hennesey. Dan is a student of history, and he saw an opportunity to capture the memories of 18 veterans of WW11 so that piece of history would not be lost. It is sad, funny, refreshing and thought provoking...and it is very well done. The launch was at the Empire theatre in Bridgewater and it included all the pomp and ceremony, a live band, an honour guard and enough red serge in RCMP uniforms to get anyone's attention.
During this past week, I have had a few challenges and it was a pleasure to take a few minutes out of the confusion and listen and learn from these remarkable people. The DVDs will be on sale through the legion branch in Bridgewater if anyone is interested in purchasing one.
Thank you to all the veterans who fought during WW1 and WW11 and Korea. May we have enough sense to avoid more wars and learn that negotiation and consultation are better tools to use when seeking lasting peace.
And a thank you to Dan Hennesey for taking the initiative to pull this project together. A great example of the difference one person can make when they are determined and resourceful.
During this past week, I have had a few challenges and it was a pleasure to take a few minutes out of the confusion and listen and learn from these remarkable people. The DVDs will be on sale through the legion branch in Bridgewater if anyone is interested in purchasing one.
Thank you to all the veterans who fought during WW1 and WW11 and Korea. May we have enough sense to avoid more wars and learn that negotiation and consultation are better tools to use when seeking lasting peace.
And a thank you to Dan Hennesey for taking the initiative to pull this project together. A great example of the difference one person can make when they are determined and resourceful.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Stupidity Virus
There are times when I fear that stupidity is a disease and that it is to be more feared than H1N1. Maybe this is National stupidity week and I missed the announcement.
A friend of mine has been threatened with a law suit because a director of her husband's former employer has taken exception to some things she has written...but the money still hasn't paid. It would appear to me the solution would be to pay the wages and the whole thing would go away.
A support group leader is considering whether I can attend a meeting so I can better understand what they do and what they can offer. This is part of my current quest to find out anything and everything I can about support for dementia patients and their families.
I have had several conversations this week about supporting local businesses and buying local. First of all, there seems to be several definitions of local. Sometimes people refer to Nova Scotia as local, sometimes Atlantic Canada and sometimes Bridgewater. If I buy a product that is produced in China from a local retailer, is that buying local. True it supports local jobs and whoever owns the building the store is in, but is that preferable to buying from a national chain that offers locally grown produce for example. This is a situation that no matter what is chosen there will be someone to point out the error.
There are several other examples of the stupidity virus that I have encountered this week, but time for my ranting has expired...more to follow
A friend of mine has been threatened with a law suit because a director of her husband's former employer has taken exception to some things she has written...but the money still hasn't paid. It would appear to me the solution would be to pay the wages and the whole thing would go away.
A support group leader is considering whether I can attend a meeting so I can better understand what they do and what they can offer. This is part of my current quest to find out anything and everything I can about support for dementia patients and their families.
I have had several conversations this week about supporting local businesses and buying local. First of all, there seems to be several definitions of local. Sometimes people refer to Nova Scotia as local, sometimes Atlantic Canada and sometimes Bridgewater. If I buy a product that is produced in China from a local retailer, is that buying local. True it supports local jobs and whoever owns the building the store is in, but is that preferable to buying from a national chain that offers locally grown produce for example. This is a situation that no matter what is chosen there will be someone to point out the error.
There are several other examples of the stupidity virus that I have encountered this week, but time for my ranting has expired...more to follow
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Email from the Premier's Office
I have just received an email acknowledging my request that staff in contact with patients in hospitals be given the proper training and that those who have not received that training be removed from all contact with patients. The Premier's office has responded that the Honourable Maureen MacDonald, Minister of Health, will respond to my questions. I will let you know what and when I receive from the Minister's office.
Another Benefit of Activitiy...Get Moving!
aThe following tips are taken from the Alzheimer's Society website. They certainly make sense for all of us and if there is the added benefit of postponing or avoiding the development of Alzhemer's Disease what a small effort to make. More information can be found at http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/brain/physicallyactive.htm
Think of it as "activity" not "exercise." For those who feel they have little opportunity to exercise, start by adding a bit of physical activity into your daily routine. Choose a brisk walk to the store rather than driving the car, or wash and wax the car instead of going to the car wash.
Choose activities and sports that you enjoy.
Aerobic activities can help maintain general fitness. For example, many experts recommend walking as one of the safest and most effective forms of aerobic exercise.
Start where you can and set reasonable goals.
Plan physical activity with another person so that you are more likely to keep active while you also gain the brain-healthy benefits of social interaction.
Check with your doctor about the kinds of physical activity that might be right for you or if you have specific health concerns.
Think of it as "activity" not "exercise." For those who feel they have little opportunity to exercise, start by adding a bit of physical activity into your daily routine. Choose a brisk walk to the store rather than driving the car, or wash and wax the car instead of going to the car wash.
Choose activities and sports that you enjoy.
Aerobic activities can help maintain general fitness. For example, many experts recommend walking as one of the safest and most effective forms of aerobic exercise.
Start where you can and set reasonable goals.
Plan physical activity with another person so that you are more likely to keep active while you also gain the brain-healthy benefits of social interaction.
Check with your doctor about the kinds of physical activity that might be right for you or if you have specific health concerns.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
We are what we eat
http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/brain/healthyfood.htm
The above link will give practical everyday tips on healthy eating. We all know that eating "right" is something that will benefit our bodies...but did you know that our minds also depend on healthy foods and a healthy lifestyle?
Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease have no cure (yet) but there are steps each of us can take to reduce the risk of developing these crippling illnesses. Isn't it worth a try?
The above link will give practical everyday tips on healthy eating. We all know that eating "right" is something that will benefit our bodies...but did you know that our minds also depend on healthy foods and a healthy lifestyle?
Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease have no cure (yet) but there are steps each of us can take to reduce the risk of developing these crippling illnesses. Isn't it worth a try?
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Part of the Problem...or...Part of the Solution
This is an expression I learned early in life, everyone is either part of the problem or a part of the solution. I truly hope that I am on the solution side of the majority of situations that I have encountered.
By now most of you will have heard of John "Jackie" Williams and his last few weeks spent in the Aberdeen Hospital 'waiting'... There was no long term care bed available in a facility in Pictou County, so he spent his last days bruised and bullied in an inappropriate situation. The security guard/commissionaire who allegedly mistreated him, to my knowledge, did not have training or the skills required to care for a patient with Alzheimer's Disease. How many other "Mr. Williams" are out there? People who no longer have the mind and body of their youth, people who are at the mercy of the 'system', people who have no voice.
The first thing that must happen: Protect patients from contact with anyone not trained to work with the ill, physical and mental. If you have not already done so, I would ask you to take a few minutes to write your MLA, MP, Leader of the Opposition and anyone in the health care system that you feel might be able to make this happen. We cannot have patients with dementia in the care of a security guard. This is not acceptable.
The second thing that must happen: We must have adequate care facilities to accommodate the present requirements. Let's not talk about what the situation will be like in 5 or 10 years...let's deal with today. We need more long term health care beds for the aging, for those who cannot, through no fault of their own, look after themselves. There will be more information in the upcoming blogs about the statistics and about what you can do.
For more information on Alzheimer's Disease and their advocacy platform please visit http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/society/advocacy_intro.htm
By now most of you will have heard of John "Jackie" Williams and his last few weeks spent in the Aberdeen Hospital 'waiting'... There was no long term care bed available in a facility in Pictou County, so he spent his last days bruised and bullied in an inappropriate situation. The security guard/commissionaire who allegedly mistreated him, to my knowledge, did not have training or the skills required to care for a patient with Alzheimer's Disease. How many other "Mr. Williams" are out there? People who no longer have the mind and body of their youth, people who are at the mercy of the 'system', people who have no voice.
The first thing that must happen: Protect patients from contact with anyone not trained to work with the ill, physical and mental. If you have not already done so, I would ask you to take a few minutes to write your MLA, MP, Leader of the Opposition and anyone in the health care system that you feel might be able to make this happen. We cannot have patients with dementia in the care of a security guard. This is not acceptable.
The second thing that must happen: We must have adequate care facilities to accommodate the present requirements. Let's not talk about what the situation will be like in 5 or 10 years...let's deal with today. We need more long term health care beds for the aging, for those who cannot, through no fault of their own, look after themselves. There will be more information in the upcoming blogs about the statistics and about what you can do.
For more information on Alzheimer's Disease and their advocacy platform please visit http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/society/advocacy_intro.htm
Friday, October 30, 2009
Step One...Write a letter
Below is a copy of the email I have sent to the premier and the Provincial Health Minister. Please feel free to copy it and send it to your elected representatives, the minister of health and the premier. Together we can make a difference and make sure that no-one has to suffer as Mr. Williams did and that no family needs to have the burden of worrying about how well a loved one is being looked after once they have been admitted to a hospital.
The names of the members of the Nova Scotia Legislature can be found at this link. http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/members/directory/constituencies.html
I am including the contact information for the premier and for the health minister below. Please copy and paste the links as required.
Emails or letters to the Premier, the minister of health and/or your elected represeentative will help.
The Premier of Nova Scotia - Darrell Dexter
Telephone: 902-424-6600
Fax: 902-424-7648
Toll-free Message Line: 1-800-267-1993
E-mail Address: premier@gov.ns.ca
Address:
Office of the Premier
PO Box 726
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2T3.
The Minister of Health for Nova Scotia Maureen MacDonald
Business Address:
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
Department of Health Promotion and Protection
5th Floor, Summit Place
1601 Lower Water Street
P.O. Box 487
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2R7
Phone: (902) 424-5627
Fax: (902) 424-7983
hppmin@gov.ns.ca
Constituency Office:
3115 Veith Street
Halifax, NS
B3K 3G9
Phone: (902) 455-2926
Fax: (902) 455-3929
mmacdonald@navnet.net
Email text sent October 30, 2009 to Premier Dexter and to Minister MacDonald.
The health care system is failing the very people it is in place to help, those who suffer from physical and mental illnesses. Recently the staff at the Aberdeen Hospital in Pictou, Nova Scotia failed to protect and provide a safe environment to a 69 year old man suffering from Alzheimer's and recovering from a heart attack. He spent four days in a storage room, had unexplained bruises on his body, and was bullied and assaulted while a patent at the hospital. A commissionaire at the hospital is awaiting trial on charges relating to one of these instances. If you are unfamiliar with the circumstances in this case please read the story at www.ngnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=296985&sc=49.
This is one example of the system failing miserably. As a concerned Nova Scotian I would like to know how this happened and what is and will be done to prevent a repeat of these events. I am sure there are ongoing studies which may or may not have any effect. However I would like the following questions answered now.
1. What is your government doing to ensure that all staff and representatives of the Regional Health Care Authorities, hospital staff members from CEOs to janitors to RNs to doctors to commissionaires and everyone in between, have the skills, abilities, training and attitudes necessary to provide care in a safe and non-threatening atmosphere?
2. What is being done to ensure that all hospital and health personnel coming in contact with patients, especially those with dementia or Alzheimer's disease, are trained in dealing with patients that can become easily agitated?
3. Have all non-qualified staff been removed from having direct contact with patients? If this has not already happened please advise what you are doing to have this put in place?
Your attention and response to this email would be appreciated.
Thank you.
The names of the members of the Nova Scotia Legislature can be found at this link. http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/members/directory/constituencies.html
I am including the contact information for the premier and for the health minister below. Please copy and paste the links as required.
Emails or letters to the Premier, the minister of health and/or your elected represeentative will help.
The Premier of Nova Scotia - Darrell Dexter
Telephone: 902-424-6600
Fax: 902-424-7648
Toll-free Message Line: 1-800-267-1993
E-mail Address: premier@gov.ns.ca
Address:
Office of the Premier
PO Box 726
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2T3.
The Minister of Health for Nova Scotia Maureen MacDonald
Business Address:
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
Department of Health Promotion and Protection
5th Floor, Summit Place
1601 Lower Water Street
P.O. Box 487
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2R7
Phone: (902) 424-5627
Fax: (902) 424-7983
hppmin@gov.ns.ca
Constituency Office:
3115 Veith Street
Halifax, NS
B3K 3G9
Phone: (902) 455-2926
Fax: (902) 455-3929
mmacdonald@navnet.net
Email text sent October 30, 2009 to Premier Dexter and to Minister MacDonald.
The health care system is failing the very people it is in place to help, those who suffer from physical and mental illnesses. Recently the staff at the Aberdeen Hospital in Pictou, Nova Scotia failed to protect and provide a safe environment to a 69 year old man suffering from Alzheimer's and recovering from a heart attack. He spent four days in a storage room, had unexplained bruises on his body, and was bullied and assaulted while a patent at the hospital. A commissionaire at the hospital is awaiting trial on charges relating to one of these instances. If you are unfamiliar with the circumstances in this case please read the story at www.ngnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=296985&sc=49.
This is one example of the system failing miserably. As a concerned Nova Scotian I would like to know how this happened and what is and will be done to prevent a repeat of these events. I am sure there are ongoing studies which may or may not have any effect. However I would like the following questions answered now.
1. What is your government doing to ensure that all staff and representatives of the Regional Health Care Authorities, hospital staff members from CEOs to janitors to RNs to doctors to commissionaires and everyone in between, have the skills, abilities, training and attitudes necessary to provide care in a safe and non-threatening atmosphere?
2. What is being done to ensure that all hospital and health personnel coming in contact with patients, especially those with dementia or Alzheimer's disease, are trained in dealing with patients that can become easily agitated?
3. Have all non-qualified staff been removed from having direct contact with patients? If this has not already happened please advise what you are doing to have this put in place?
Your attention and response to this email would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Security Guards are not Appropriate Care Givers
I am appalled by the treatment that Mr John Williams received at the Aberdeen Hospital. I would like to think that it is an isolated case and that it hasn't happened to others and that no-one else needs fear what treatment they will receive. But the question is there and it won't go away. Who is protecting the patients from the bullies and the badgers? How many failures in the system have never been disclosed? Scary thoughts.
I know that individuals who have not received the training required to do a job competently will usually fail, and in the case of caring for the ill, the elderly and the disadvantaged that failure can have serious consequences. Mr. Williams is the case in point. Tomorrow I will post the draft form of the first letter that I will be asking friends, family and acquaintances to complete and forward to their MLA and MP, as well as the Minister of Health and the premier. We need a strong letter writing campaign to voice concerns, demand action and improve communications.
I know that individuals who have not received the training required to do a job competently will usually fail, and in the case of caring for the ill, the elderly and the disadvantaged that failure can have serious consequences. Mr. Williams is the case in point. Tomorrow I will post the draft form of the first letter that I will be asking friends, family and acquaintances to complete and forward to their MLA and MP, as well as the Minister of Health and the premier. We need a strong letter writing campaign to voice concerns, demand action and improve communications.
Another voice heard ... Security Officers not Appropriate Patient Attendants
Mr. John Williams suffered from Alzheimer's and through no fault of his own or those of his family, he spent his last days bullied and beaten in the Aberdeen Hospital. The following is a voice from the side of the Commissionaires that are expected to perform duties for which they have had no training. And the story continues.
Security officers not appropriate patient attendants
By JOHN D. ALLEN
Thu. Oct 29 - 4:46 AM
As Canadians live longer and longer, our health care system’s acute and long-term facilities are facing some real challenges in caring for us in our advancing years. The recent alleged assault of an elderly Alzheimer’s patient by a hospital security guard is a graphic symptom of the system’s failure.
Alzheimer’s affects more than 500,000 Canadians, and the latest worldwide report on the disease estimates more than 35.6 million people are affected, up 10 per cent since 2005.
"The information in the 2009 World Alzheimer Report makes it clear that the crisis of dementia cannot be ignored," says Debbie Benczkowski, interim CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Canada. "Unchecked, dementia will impose enormous burdens on individuals, families, health care infrastructures, and global economy."
I have been a security professional for more than 20 years; for four of those, I supervised the security teams assigned to three Nova Scotia hospitals. Juggling funding, staffing and bed availability, today’s nursing units have their hands full with the actively ill; and my colleagues and I became rapidly aware of the inability of the acute-care system to manage the behavioural issues associated with those suffering chronic brain injury.
From that experience, I am firm in the belief that the use of security staff as long-term patient attendants is an unacceptable, albeit convenient and cost-effective, substitute for trained mental-health professionals.
Alzheimer’s accounts for 64 per cent of all dementia cases and regardless of their skill and experience, the Dealing with Disturbed Persons, Non-violent Crisis Intervention and Pressure Point Control training received by many security staffers does not prepare you to safely engage the 60-year-old stroke victim who throws furniture; the psychotic senior who violently strikes everyone, including their own family; or the frail grandmother who screams day and night.
Furthermore "the deterrent factor" offered by a uniformed presence often serves only to enflame a situation, especially if paranoia is part of the patient’s illness. An omnipresent security guard, outside the door, only adds to the patient’s isolation, stigmatizes them and their family, and erodes what little dignity the disease has felt them.
A security officer should never be the primary care plan. It is a clear indication you are not coping.
I am not in any way justifying this particular incident; from media reports, the officer appears to have acted most inappropriately. But staff frustration quickly builds in these types of chronic situations and unfortunately, such incidents will continue, as more and more brain-injured patients languish in acute medical wards and mental-health units awaiting placement in long-term care facilities — many of which are reluctant to admit potentially violent persons because they themselves do not have the resources necessary to manage these residents.
Whether their condition is organic, caused by trauma or dementia, brain-injured Nova Scotians deserve the same level of dignity and care we all enjoy, and the need for properly trained health care professionals to deal with their special needs has been clear for some time.
Mahatma Gandhi said, "You can judge a society by how it treats its weakest members" — but the issue, as with everything in health care, is funding.
As we age and face the insidious prospect of our minds turning on us, specially trained orderlies and attendants will become a necessity if we hope to live in a dignified, caring environment.
John D. Allen lives in Halifax.
Security officers not appropriate patient attendants
By JOHN D. ALLEN
Thu. Oct 29 - 4:46 AM
As Canadians live longer and longer, our health care system’s acute and long-term facilities are facing some real challenges in caring for us in our advancing years. The recent alleged assault of an elderly Alzheimer’s patient by a hospital security guard is a graphic symptom of the system’s failure.
Alzheimer’s affects more than 500,000 Canadians, and the latest worldwide report on the disease estimates more than 35.6 million people are affected, up 10 per cent since 2005.
"The information in the 2009 World Alzheimer Report makes it clear that the crisis of dementia cannot be ignored," says Debbie Benczkowski, interim CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Canada. "Unchecked, dementia will impose enormous burdens on individuals, families, health care infrastructures, and global economy."
I have been a security professional for more than 20 years; for four of those, I supervised the security teams assigned to three Nova Scotia hospitals. Juggling funding, staffing and bed availability, today’s nursing units have their hands full with the actively ill; and my colleagues and I became rapidly aware of the inability of the acute-care system to manage the behavioural issues associated with those suffering chronic brain injury.
From that experience, I am firm in the belief that the use of security staff as long-term patient attendants is an unacceptable, albeit convenient and cost-effective, substitute for trained mental-health professionals.
Alzheimer’s accounts for 64 per cent of all dementia cases and regardless of their skill and experience, the Dealing with Disturbed Persons, Non-violent Crisis Intervention and Pressure Point Control training received by many security staffers does not prepare you to safely engage the 60-year-old stroke victim who throws furniture; the psychotic senior who violently strikes everyone, including their own family; or the frail grandmother who screams day and night.
Furthermore "the deterrent factor" offered by a uniformed presence often serves only to enflame a situation, especially if paranoia is part of the patient’s illness. An omnipresent security guard, outside the door, only adds to the patient’s isolation, stigmatizes them and their family, and erodes what little dignity the disease has felt them.
A security officer should never be the primary care plan. It is a clear indication you are not coping.
I am not in any way justifying this particular incident; from media reports, the officer appears to have acted most inappropriately. But staff frustration quickly builds in these types of chronic situations and unfortunately, such incidents will continue, as more and more brain-injured patients languish in acute medical wards and mental-health units awaiting placement in long-term care facilities — many of which are reluctant to admit potentially violent persons because they themselves do not have the resources necessary to manage these residents.
Whether their condition is organic, caused by trauma or dementia, brain-injured Nova Scotians deserve the same level of dignity and care we all enjoy, and the need for properly trained health care professionals to deal with their special needs has been clear for some time.
Mahatma Gandhi said, "You can judge a society by how it treats its weakest members" — but the issue, as with everything in health care, is funding.
As we age and face the insidious prospect of our minds turning on us, specially trained orderlies and attendants will become a necessity if we hope to live in a dignified, caring environment.
John D. Allen lives in Halifax.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Update on the Arthritis Materials and Progress
First the positive, I lost two pounds this morning at weigh in. This is the lowest weight I have recorded in three years. Yippee! Going to keep moving and losing!
And the update on the continuing saga of the Arthritis brochures. They didn't arrive in time. The courier that promised they would be in Liverpool by 9:00 am this morning lied. That's what promising something and not delivering is...lying. The parcel was not there at 11:00 am. The parcel that was at the Truro bus station has made it as far as the Bridgewater bus terminal and I will pick it up tomorrow...but my talk was today. I had several brochures to hand out but not everything that I wanted. So I 'made do', I did 'good enough'. And I am not happy that I was placed in that position. Changes must be made, more conversations and more followup and more monitoring. Of course after this I may not be needed as a speaker by the Arthritis Society.
And the update on the continuing saga of the Arthritis brochures. They didn't arrive in time. The courier that promised they would be in Liverpool by 9:00 am this morning lied. That's what promising something and not delivering is...lying. The parcel was not there at 11:00 am. The parcel that was at the Truro bus station has made it as far as the Bridgewater bus terminal and I will pick it up tomorrow...but my talk was today. I had several brochures to hand out but not everything that I wanted. So I 'made do', I did 'good enough'. And I am not happy that I was placed in that position. Changes must be made, more conversations and more followup and more monitoring. Of course after this I may not be needed as a speaker by the Arthritis Society.
Shame on Aberdeen Hospital
Following is the article that appeared in the Pictou County News about Mr. John Williams...the victim of the Health Care System.
Commissionaire charged with assault
by JENNIFER VARDY LITTLE
The News
NEW GLASGOW – A Pictou County man spent his last days “terrified” after he was slapped and kicked by a security guard at the Aberdeen Hospital.
John “Jackie” Williams, 69, was “never the same” after a Sept. 16 incident with Nova Scotia Commissionaire Raymond Cameron, who allegedly struck the Alzheimer’s patient across the face with enough force to knock his glasses off, says Williams’ daughter, Bernice Theriault.
Williams had been admitted into the hospital in June when he had his first heart attack, which sped up the effects of his Alzheimer’s. While he was in ICU, the family made the difficult decision to apply for long-term care for him.
Theriault says her mother, June, has a health condition of her own and couldn’t care for him at home any longer, and her only sister in the county, Paula Pellerine, runs her own business and couldn’t provide enough help. Theriault lives near Bridgewater, while a third sister, Donna Boyle, resides in Calgary.
“We thought we were doing the right thing,” Theriault said softly. “Mom said at an Alzheimer’s support meeting that if she knew what he’d have to go through, she would’ve let him die at home from the heart attack he had that night.”
She believes the incident caused her father so much stress and concern it contributed to the heart attack he suffered two weeks later. He died Oct. 10.
“My father was a law-abiding citizen – if the speed limit was 90, he went 89, did everything by the letter of the law,” Theriault said. “I will believe forever that the added stress, the fear, the pressure, contributed to his heart attack. He knew something had happened.”
It was Williams himself who told his wife of the incident when she came to visit him an hour after it occurred.
“Dad was laying down in bed and told her, ‘I’m in big trouble.’ Mom told him, ‘No, you’re not.’ That’s when he told her a security guard slapped him across the face,” Theriault said.
“He was terrified. He was scared by the uniforms. Raymond Cameron is a big man – my father was big as well, but he wasn’t anywhere near as big as Raymond Cameron was.”
Her mom was left in absolute disbelief, she said. Moments later, a nurse called her into the hospital to fill her in on the details.
Theriault got the call that evening from her mother, who told her of the incident. The next morning, she drove to New Glasgow.
“My first thought? We have to get him out of there. Obviously, they couldn’t care less. We felt like he wasn’t safe,” she said.
The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 16. Williams was a “wanderer,” meaning he often left his room to wander the 22-bed acute care unit on the fifth floor of the Aberdeen.
Ruby Knowles, community health and continuing care vice-president with the Pictou County Health Authority, says the physical set-up of the unit isn’t appropriate for people who wander, unlike an actual nursing home.
“We’re limited with our physical space – that’s left us to use patient sitters when individuals wander off,” she explained.
A commissionaire was usually assigned to sit outside his door and follow him around the unit, preventing him from leaving the floor. Before that arrangement was put in place, Theriault said, he’d sometimes leave the floor and have to be tracked down by commissionaires – and seeing the uniforms frightened Williams.
“They intimidated him,” she said.
On the day of the incident, Williams had knocked over a rocking chair while on his way to the elevator. Staff called for a second commissionaire – Cameron – to come to the floor and assist.
“By the time he got there, everything was calmed down,” Theriault said, but the sight of Cameron caused her father to become upset again.
An internal report conducted by the hospital says that’s when Williams kicked Cameron in the shins, and Cameron kicked him back.
Nurses brought a wheelchair and the report says Cameron pushed Williams into it, took him back to his room and slapped him in the face, knocking off his glasses.
“He acted like a bully,” Theriault said.
The incident sparked two investigations, one by the PCHA which concluded last week, and the other by the provincial Health Department, which the PCHA was required to contact under the Persons in Care Act. The second investigation is expected to wrap up at the end of the month.
The following day, the family contacted New Glasgow police who launched their own investigation. Cameron was charged with assault on Sept. 17 and was slated to be arraigned in court on Dec. 21 for the incident, but the family has been told the charges are going through the Adult Diversion Program.
That program allows a post-charge alternative to a court proceeding for minor criminal offences, and according to the Nova Scotia Justice website, resolution is accomplished faster and the offender is held more immediately accountable. The offender does not have a criminal record if they successfully complete the program.
It doesn’t sit well with Theriault.
“My understanding is that he confessed and it will be going through adult diversion – I’ve been told he likely won’t ever see the inside of the court room,” she said. “I hope we, as a family, have some say – I don’t want him doing community service in a seniors’ home.”
Cameron, who was not a direct employee of the hospital, but was part of a contracted service, is no longer allowed to work for the hospital.
Cameron did not return calls from The News on Thursday. He was a longtime town councillor in Westville, former police officer, former chairman of the town’s police board and last year’s Volunteer of the Year for Westville.
This may have been the most serious incident, but the family says this wasn’t the only one that occurred while Williams resided in the unit.
The first occurred Aug. 21, when Williams got up through the night and began wandering around his room looking for a bathroom.
“He had a mental block when it came to the bathroom,” Theriault said. “He’d open doors, looking for it. He’d even open the door to the bathroom and not recognize it.”
That night, he opened his roommate’s closet, who told Williams to get out of there. The two men exchanged words and Williams pushed him.
“They considered him the aggressor, so he was moved.”
The only bed available in the middle of the night was in a room the family dubbed the “storage room.” Once a four-bed unit, it now stored items like unused IV poles and walkers.
“This was a man with Alzheimer’s, whose brain works differently than you and me, who couldn’t even make it to the window to look out because of all these items,” she said.
The family didn’t know about the incident until the next morning, when Theriault’s sister, Pellerine, arrived to feed him breakfast.
“He couldn’t get the covers off the containers of food or pour the milk on his cereal, so she would go to the hospital every morning at 6:30 to feed him breakfast,” Theriault explained. “She saw the blanket my sister from Calgary had sent him in the room, and found my father in the lounge. He was still in his pajamas, so she was going to take him back to his room to get changed. The nurse told her she couldn’t go in there anymore.”
Williams remained in the room for four days, until the family complained. He was later moved to a private room.
“Unfortunately, he was not moved to an appropriate room the following day and was not actually moved until Monday,” said Knowles. “It shouldn’t have happened, we regret that it happened, and we certainly talked to staff as well.”
The second incident occurred Sept. 12, just days before Williams was abused. Pellerine was visiting again and wanted to help her father clean up.
When she pulled off his shirt, she discovered his torso covered with bruises, including a large bruise on the back of his upper arm that was deep purple in the centre.
“No one had any answers how that occurred,” Theriault said, but the family wonders and worries if this was an earlier incident of abuse that no one caught.
“That’s the first thing my sister said – she wondered if someone missed something, if that was how he got all those bruises.”
The Pictou County Health Authority has expressed deep regret that the incident ever occurred.
“We deeply regret the incident happened, and we’ve acknowledged that to the family – it was very, very difficult for the family,” said Knowles.
The fifth-floor unit was only set up two years ago, and Knowles says the PCHA is still working out the kinks.
“That’s no excuse for the assault, because there is no excuse for that.”
But the health authority is taking steps to ensure nothing like this ever happens again in their facilities. Since the incident occurred, the hospital has done an internal review to determine who the best personnel are to serve as a “patient sitter,” a role that has, in the past, been done exclusively by the commissionaires. The PCHA is also looking into additional training for those personnel who serve as one-on-one supervisors for patients, including how to work with patients with challenging behaviour.
The unit itself poses challenges as well. It’s not set up in the same way as a nursing home – there’s limited physical space, she said, and there are a limited number of beds. All 22 beds in the unit are typically full and often, long-term care patients often also occupy regular medical beds.
“We’re going to look at anything else we can do in our physical space to make the environment a little homier,” she added.
The PCHA is taking other steps in the wake of this incident, such as establishing a Caregiver’s Council with staff, patients and families where people can raise any concerns they have about the care long-term patients receive. Nursing homes usually have a similar council in place, Knowles added.
The PCHA will also follow any directives given from the provincial review, she said.
Lloyd Brown, executive director of the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia, said this incident should be looked at on two levels.
"We always have to have zero tolerance, no matter how and why it happens."
Brown said it should also be kept in mind that hospital emergency departments and acute care facilities are not designed to provide the kind of care needed by Alzheimer's patients.
"It's a system issue that needs to be dealt with at a system level…We are all called upon, it's sort of a heads-up so we try to avoid this happening in the future."
Jackie’s Journey
Theriault and her family, however, want assurances that no other family will ever go through this sort of thing.
“We were a family in crisis,” she says softly. “We’re no longer a family in crisis. My father’s gone. But they’re still out there.”
There are currently 6,997 long-term care beds in Nova Scotia – but there’s a waiting list of nearly 1,300 patients.
“In my opinion, what needs to come out of this is something to help those families in crisis,” she said.
Right now, only 40 hours of home care is available to families who choose to keep their loved ones at home while awaiting beds – something that’s nowhere near enough support, Theriault said.
She’s contacted the three Pictou County MLAs, Central Nova MP Peter MacKay, Premier Darrell Dexter and every other politician she can think of, campaigning for government support to increase the number of beds available to Alzheimer and dementia patients.
“The population is aging – by the time new beds get opened, the number of beds needed will double to 2,600,” she said. “The population of people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia is doubling every six months. We need to help these families before they get in crisis.”
That’s why the family has launched a fundraising campaign called Jackie’s Journey. The campaign will raise funds that will go to groups like the Alzheimer’s Support Group to help them lobby government for more assistance to Alzheimer’s patients.
Anyone interested in donating can mail a cheque to PO Box 3372, Stellarton, NS, B0K 1S0.
Commissionaire charged with assault
by JENNIFER VARDY LITTLE
The News
NEW GLASGOW – A Pictou County man spent his last days “terrified” after he was slapped and kicked by a security guard at the Aberdeen Hospital.
John “Jackie” Williams, 69, was “never the same” after a Sept. 16 incident with Nova Scotia Commissionaire Raymond Cameron, who allegedly struck the Alzheimer’s patient across the face with enough force to knock his glasses off, says Williams’ daughter, Bernice Theriault.
Williams had been admitted into the hospital in June when he had his first heart attack, which sped up the effects of his Alzheimer’s. While he was in ICU, the family made the difficult decision to apply for long-term care for him.
Theriault says her mother, June, has a health condition of her own and couldn’t care for him at home any longer, and her only sister in the county, Paula Pellerine, runs her own business and couldn’t provide enough help. Theriault lives near Bridgewater, while a third sister, Donna Boyle, resides in Calgary.
“We thought we were doing the right thing,” Theriault said softly. “Mom said at an Alzheimer’s support meeting that if she knew what he’d have to go through, she would’ve let him die at home from the heart attack he had that night.”
She believes the incident caused her father so much stress and concern it contributed to the heart attack he suffered two weeks later. He died Oct. 10.
“My father was a law-abiding citizen – if the speed limit was 90, he went 89, did everything by the letter of the law,” Theriault said. “I will believe forever that the added stress, the fear, the pressure, contributed to his heart attack. He knew something had happened.”
It was Williams himself who told his wife of the incident when she came to visit him an hour after it occurred.
“Dad was laying down in bed and told her, ‘I’m in big trouble.’ Mom told him, ‘No, you’re not.’ That’s when he told her a security guard slapped him across the face,” Theriault said.
“He was terrified. He was scared by the uniforms. Raymond Cameron is a big man – my father was big as well, but he wasn’t anywhere near as big as Raymond Cameron was.”
Her mom was left in absolute disbelief, she said. Moments later, a nurse called her into the hospital to fill her in on the details.
Theriault got the call that evening from her mother, who told her of the incident. The next morning, she drove to New Glasgow.
“My first thought? We have to get him out of there. Obviously, they couldn’t care less. We felt like he wasn’t safe,” she said.
The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 16. Williams was a “wanderer,” meaning he often left his room to wander the 22-bed acute care unit on the fifth floor of the Aberdeen.
Ruby Knowles, community health and continuing care vice-president with the Pictou County Health Authority, says the physical set-up of the unit isn’t appropriate for people who wander, unlike an actual nursing home.
“We’re limited with our physical space – that’s left us to use patient sitters when individuals wander off,” she explained.
A commissionaire was usually assigned to sit outside his door and follow him around the unit, preventing him from leaving the floor. Before that arrangement was put in place, Theriault said, he’d sometimes leave the floor and have to be tracked down by commissionaires – and seeing the uniforms frightened Williams.
“They intimidated him,” she said.
On the day of the incident, Williams had knocked over a rocking chair while on his way to the elevator. Staff called for a second commissionaire – Cameron – to come to the floor and assist.
“By the time he got there, everything was calmed down,” Theriault said, but the sight of Cameron caused her father to become upset again.
An internal report conducted by the hospital says that’s when Williams kicked Cameron in the shins, and Cameron kicked him back.
Nurses brought a wheelchair and the report says Cameron pushed Williams into it, took him back to his room and slapped him in the face, knocking off his glasses.
“He acted like a bully,” Theriault said.
The incident sparked two investigations, one by the PCHA which concluded last week, and the other by the provincial Health Department, which the PCHA was required to contact under the Persons in Care Act. The second investigation is expected to wrap up at the end of the month.
The following day, the family contacted New Glasgow police who launched their own investigation. Cameron was charged with assault on Sept. 17 and was slated to be arraigned in court on Dec. 21 for the incident, but the family has been told the charges are going through the Adult Diversion Program.
That program allows a post-charge alternative to a court proceeding for minor criminal offences, and according to the Nova Scotia Justice website, resolution is accomplished faster and the offender is held more immediately accountable. The offender does not have a criminal record if they successfully complete the program.
It doesn’t sit well with Theriault.
“My understanding is that he confessed and it will be going through adult diversion – I’ve been told he likely won’t ever see the inside of the court room,” she said. “I hope we, as a family, have some say – I don’t want him doing community service in a seniors’ home.”
Cameron, who was not a direct employee of the hospital, but was part of a contracted service, is no longer allowed to work for the hospital.
Cameron did not return calls from The News on Thursday. He was a longtime town councillor in Westville, former police officer, former chairman of the town’s police board and last year’s Volunteer of the Year for Westville.
This may have been the most serious incident, but the family says this wasn’t the only one that occurred while Williams resided in the unit.
The first occurred Aug. 21, when Williams got up through the night and began wandering around his room looking for a bathroom.
“He had a mental block when it came to the bathroom,” Theriault said. “He’d open doors, looking for it. He’d even open the door to the bathroom and not recognize it.”
That night, he opened his roommate’s closet, who told Williams to get out of there. The two men exchanged words and Williams pushed him.
“They considered him the aggressor, so he was moved.”
The only bed available in the middle of the night was in a room the family dubbed the “storage room.” Once a four-bed unit, it now stored items like unused IV poles and walkers.
“This was a man with Alzheimer’s, whose brain works differently than you and me, who couldn’t even make it to the window to look out because of all these items,” she said.
The family didn’t know about the incident until the next morning, when Theriault’s sister, Pellerine, arrived to feed him breakfast.
“He couldn’t get the covers off the containers of food or pour the milk on his cereal, so she would go to the hospital every morning at 6:30 to feed him breakfast,” Theriault explained. “She saw the blanket my sister from Calgary had sent him in the room, and found my father in the lounge. He was still in his pajamas, so she was going to take him back to his room to get changed. The nurse told her she couldn’t go in there anymore.”
Williams remained in the room for four days, until the family complained. He was later moved to a private room.
“Unfortunately, he was not moved to an appropriate room the following day and was not actually moved until Monday,” said Knowles. “It shouldn’t have happened, we regret that it happened, and we certainly talked to staff as well.”
The second incident occurred Sept. 12, just days before Williams was abused. Pellerine was visiting again and wanted to help her father clean up.
When she pulled off his shirt, she discovered his torso covered with bruises, including a large bruise on the back of his upper arm that was deep purple in the centre.
“No one had any answers how that occurred,” Theriault said, but the family wonders and worries if this was an earlier incident of abuse that no one caught.
“That’s the first thing my sister said – she wondered if someone missed something, if that was how he got all those bruises.”
The Pictou County Health Authority has expressed deep regret that the incident ever occurred.
“We deeply regret the incident happened, and we’ve acknowledged that to the family – it was very, very difficult for the family,” said Knowles.
The fifth-floor unit was only set up two years ago, and Knowles says the PCHA is still working out the kinks.
“That’s no excuse for the assault, because there is no excuse for that.”
But the health authority is taking steps to ensure nothing like this ever happens again in their facilities. Since the incident occurred, the hospital has done an internal review to determine who the best personnel are to serve as a “patient sitter,” a role that has, in the past, been done exclusively by the commissionaires. The PCHA is also looking into additional training for those personnel who serve as one-on-one supervisors for patients, including how to work with patients with challenging behaviour.
The unit itself poses challenges as well. It’s not set up in the same way as a nursing home – there’s limited physical space, she said, and there are a limited number of beds. All 22 beds in the unit are typically full and often, long-term care patients often also occupy regular medical beds.
“We’re going to look at anything else we can do in our physical space to make the environment a little homier,” she added.
The PCHA is taking other steps in the wake of this incident, such as establishing a Caregiver’s Council with staff, patients and families where people can raise any concerns they have about the care long-term patients receive. Nursing homes usually have a similar council in place, Knowles added.
The PCHA will also follow any directives given from the provincial review, she said.
Lloyd Brown, executive director of the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia, said this incident should be looked at on two levels.
"We always have to have zero tolerance, no matter how and why it happens."
Brown said it should also be kept in mind that hospital emergency departments and acute care facilities are not designed to provide the kind of care needed by Alzheimer's patients.
"It's a system issue that needs to be dealt with at a system level…We are all called upon, it's sort of a heads-up so we try to avoid this happening in the future."
Jackie’s Journey
Theriault and her family, however, want assurances that no other family will ever go through this sort of thing.
“We were a family in crisis,” she says softly. “We’re no longer a family in crisis. My father’s gone. But they’re still out there.”
There are currently 6,997 long-term care beds in Nova Scotia – but there’s a waiting list of nearly 1,300 patients.
“In my opinion, what needs to come out of this is something to help those families in crisis,” she said.
Right now, only 40 hours of home care is available to families who choose to keep their loved ones at home while awaiting beds – something that’s nowhere near enough support, Theriault said.
She’s contacted the three Pictou County MLAs, Central Nova MP Peter MacKay, Premier Darrell Dexter and every other politician she can think of, campaigning for government support to increase the number of beds available to Alzheimer and dementia patients.
“The population is aging – by the time new beds get opened, the number of beds needed will double to 2,600,” she said. “The population of people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia is doubling every six months. We need to help these families before they get in crisis.”
That’s why the family has launched a fundraising campaign called Jackie’s Journey. The campaign will raise funds that will go to groups like the Alzheimer’s Support Group to help them lobby government for more assistance to Alzheimer’s patients.
Anyone interested in donating can mail a cheque to PO Box 3372, Stellarton, NS, B0K 1S0.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Attitude or Ability?
I am a guest speaker for the Arthritis Society. That means that I volunteer my time (and put gas in my car) to make presentations about arthritis to groups that are interested in learning more about the condition and the symptoms. In early October I knew I would be speaking to two groups during the month and I called the Halifax office of the Arthritis Society to replenish my supply of brochures. I placed my order and thought nothing more of it, until October 14th, the day before my first talk. And you guessed it, the materials hadn't arrived. I made do...found materials and had a variety of brochures and information to share with the 25 or so people present. True I could have followed up sooner and in a less busy month I probably would have, but I put my trust in the voice on the other end of the telephone that had assured me that the materials would be here on time.
On October 21st I finally followed up by called the Halifax office again, only to be told the person I had spoken to earlier was away. After a few minutes of conversation I was assured that the parcel would be sent by bus and that I would have it in lots of time for the October 28th commitment. When I returned home Monday evening (October 26th) there was a voice mail from the bus station saying there was a package for me...great news! BUT the parcel was in Truro, NS which is about 3 hours from where I live. In fact Halifax is an hour closer to me. The parcel had made its way to the wrong depot...not Bridgewater as I had requested but Truro.
This morning I called the Halifax office of the Arthritis Society again. And I think the situation is going to be solved in time for my talk tomorrow. I spoke to the Director this time and she seems to be problem solving by sending a package by courier to a drop off point where someone can pick it up and bring it to the meeting tomorrow afternoon. We had a very direct conversation about my expectations and about the roadblocks that I had been experiencing.
This is an example of a minor irritation...or is it? If this is the level of service that is offered, then how effective is the program planning from that office.
There are really only two reasons why tasks do not get completed in a timely manner...one is attitude and the other is ability. Attitude cannot be changed by anyone except the person involved. Ability may mean that the skills are missing and training is required, or it may mean that the time available is exceeded by the number of tasks assigned. In this case either the person needs to improve efficiency or the system in place needs to be modified so that the completion of promised actions is timely and accurate.
It seems that everywhere I look these days there are examples of misses, near misses, or in the case of Mr Williams in the Pictou Hospital just plain disasters: all because of failure to complete an assigned task. I am tired of the "good enough"attitude I see all too frequently.
I am pleased that my situation with the Arthritis Society appears to be resolved (tomorrow will tell the tale) but I am now wondering just how efficient that whole operation is and how much of the donation dollar is spent retrieving parcels from the wrong destination, resending materials, and other mix ups that I can only guess at.
On October 21st I finally followed up by called the Halifax office again, only to be told the person I had spoken to earlier was away. After a few minutes of conversation I was assured that the parcel would be sent by bus and that I would have it in lots of time for the October 28th commitment. When I returned home Monday evening (October 26th) there was a voice mail from the bus station saying there was a package for me...great news! BUT the parcel was in Truro, NS which is about 3 hours from where I live. In fact Halifax is an hour closer to me. The parcel had made its way to the wrong depot...not Bridgewater as I had requested but Truro.
This morning I called the Halifax office of the Arthritis Society again. And I think the situation is going to be solved in time for my talk tomorrow. I spoke to the Director this time and she seems to be problem solving by sending a package by courier to a drop off point where someone can pick it up and bring it to the meeting tomorrow afternoon. We had a very direct conversation about my expectations and about the roadblocks that I had been experiencing.
This is an example of a minor irritation...or is it? If this is the level of service that is offered, then how effective is the program planning from that office.
There are really only two reasons why tasks do not get completed in a timely manner...one is attitude and the other is ability. Attitude cannot be changed by anyone except the person involved. Ability may mean that the skills are missing and training is required, or it may mean that the time available is exceeded by the number of tasks assigned. In this case either the person needs to improve efficiency or the system in place needs to be modified so that the completion of promised actions is timely and accurate.
It seems that everywhere I look these days there are examples of misses, near misses, or in the case of Mr Williams in the Pictou Hospital just plain disasters: all because of failure to complete an assigned task. I am tired of the "good enough"attitude I see all too frequently.
I am pleased that my situation with the Arthritis Society appears to be resolved (tomorrow will tell the tale) but I am now wondering just how efficient that whole operation is and how much of the donation dollar is spent retrieving parcels from the wrong destination, resending materials, and other mix ups that I can only guess at.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)