The Caring Resource

Long-term care protest planned -- 'What's happening is wrong'

 

Posted By CAROL MULLIGAN, THE SUDBURY STAR

 

A Sudbury woman with 27 years in the long-term care sector says workers in the system are so stressed, the rates of violence and abuse in nursing homes are "astronomical."

Staff charged with caring for 10 to 16 adults in a single shift are cutting corners and "care is not getting done," said Anne Marie MacInnis at a news conference Tuesday.

MacInnis is a Sudbury representative on the Ontario Health Coalition and an organizer of the All Out Mass Protest scheduled in several Ontario cities, including Sudbury, on Saturday.

The Sudbury rally is being sponsored by the coalition and the Sudbury and District Labour Council.

MacInnis, who is an organizer for Mine Mill Local 598/CAW, said the rallies are targeted at Premier Dalton McGuinty, and will call on him to keep his election promises to support public health care.

"Alarming rates" of violence, injury, accidents and neglect are occurring in long-term care homes where employees don't have the time to care for the number of residents they are responsible for every day.

Organizers are calling on the McGuinty government to stop the cuts to hospital services, stop funding private-public partnerships in health care, end competitive bidding in home care and regulate a minimum standard of care in long-term care residences.

A core group of employees in the home care, long-term care and hospital sectors will participate in the rallies.

Sudbury's All Out Mass Protest is scheduled from 11 a. m.-3 p. m. at Tom Davies Square.

Starting at 8 a. m., workers will present street theatre presentations to "engage" the public in the discussion, said MacInnis.

Thousands of people are expected to participate in rallies in Toronto, Windsor, Kingston, Thunder Bay and Sudbury.

"What's happening is wrong," said MacInnis, and the purpose of the All Out Mass Protests is to "tap into social awareness" about that.

John Closs, president of the Sudbury and District Labour Council, stressed the protest is not a labour event although OPSEU, CUPE, Mine Mill/CAW and Steelworkers members will participate.

These issues "affect everybody," said Closs.

 

Serena L. Brock

Home Care Today– Growing Options and Risks

as published in:     Simply the Best  Barbara McKay Magazine   Spring/Summer 2008

Home Care Today– Growing Options and Risks

With an estimated 4.2 million Americans currently over age 85, an expected 78 million baby boomers to reach age 65 by 2030;  almost 25% of Americans are in the process of dealing with elder/care issues, it is no surprise that the home care industry is exploding.

Growing Options

It's not easy to become elderly or a parent to your parent(s). The “Sandwich Generation”, those sandwiched between aging parents and their own children, face a number of key areas critical to elder care;  aging, legal, medical,  financial and living arrangement issues. Support from an in home caregiver can help to assist with the activities of daily living, while providing companionship, whether it is your own child, spouse, sibling or an aging parent.

The type of home care service needed depends on several factors:  mental/ physical health condition, support from family or friends, residential location, availability of finances.  Financing may be long term care policies, money from a trust, state funded programs, insurance, Veterans aid and attendance benefit or private pay. Licensed home care agencies provide qualified caregivers such as companions, certified nursing assistants, nurses and rehabilitation therapists. Their services cover: activities of daily living, nursing/wound care; rehabilitation, case management, pre/post operative care, errands, etc.  In addition to elder care, services can include pre/post operative care, new moms and multiples support, short term disability and illness.  For employers, some agencies offer packages to help save on lost time/revenue as a result of employees forced to miss work to care for sick parents and/or their own children. Imagine the comfort and peace of mind knowing your loved one is in good hands whether you live near, with or far from your loved one.

Risks

With many home care agencies choices, all making the same promises, it is critical to carefully select your agency.  Unfortunately, not all are honest and ethical. We recommend you ask to see the agency’s policy on orientation, screening, testing and supervision. The National Association for Home Care and Hospice, NAHC, is a great resource in each state.

A Question of Quality and Ethics

Home care is a very personal choice and can be an invaluable service.  Too often, we are witness to heart wrenching cases where neglect, abuse, theft and lawsuits have occurred as a result of families trying to save money by privately hiring their own caregivers. Like any other service, you pay for what you receive. In addition, if someone is offering to buy items to gain or keep your business, question their ethics. Peace of mind is worth the price. Call and interview agencies. Ask for references.  Take your time and be sure that you feel a connection with them. Visit their office.  Trust and confidence in your agency, its internal staff and its caregivers is critical. Make informed decisions based on your own research. After all, they spend a great deal of time in the home, and truly become an extension of your family!

Leading Education & Ethics in Charlotte and Across the Country

Serena Brock -  nationally recognized entrepreneur/speaker and focuses on the importance of the synergistic relationship between attorney’s, financial planner’s and home care owner’s supporting the fast growing baby boomer population.   An advocate for children/seniors, she currently is a member of the North Carolina Association for Home and Hospice Government Affairs Committee, the North Carolina Guardian ad Litem Foundation and the World Orphans Day, Global Click Campaign. Brock lends her expertise to several national organizations including the National Private Duty Home Care Association, Medicaid Practice Systems, Elder Law Answers and The National Network for Estate Planning Attorneys.

13% of Seniors Report Being Mistreated

THURSDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- A new study says that 13 percent of American seniors suffer mistreatment from various forms of abuse.

 

The University of Chicago researchers said the chief forms were verbal abuse

(9 percent), being taken advantage of financially (3.5 percent), and physical abuse (0.2 percent). The team also found that seniors with physical impairments were most likely to suffer verbal abuse.

 

"Older people with any physical vulnerability are about 13 percent more likely than those without one to report verbal mistreatment, but are not more likely to report financial mistreatment," study co-author Linda Waite, a professor of sociology, said in a university news release.

 

The analysis of national survey data from 3,005 community-dwelling adults, ages 57 to 85, also found that adults in their late 50s and 60s are more likely to report verbal or financial mistreatment than those who are older.

 

"Perhaps the respondents are including fairly routine arguments, perhaps about money, with their spouse, sibling or child in their reports, or perhaps older adults are more reticent to report negative behavior," lead author Edward Laumann, a professor of sociology, said in the news release.

 

Women were twice as likely as men to report verbal abuse; Hispanics were about half as likely as whites to report verbal abuse and 78 percent less likely to report financial mistreatment; and blacks were 77 percent more likely than whites to report financial mistreatment.

 

Of those who reported verbal abuse, 26 percent said their spouse or romantic partner was responsible, 15 percent said it was their children, and the remainder of respondents said friends, neighbors, co-workers or bosses were responsible. Of the respondents who reported financial abuse, 57 percent said a relative other than a spouse, parent or child was taking advantage of them.

 

The study was published in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences.

 

"The population of this country is aging, and people now live with chronic diseases longer. So, it's important to understand, from a health perspective, how people are being treated as they age," Laumann said.

 

Serena L. Brock