Editor: I have been keeping track of the senior advocate鈥檚 reports, which are an excellent example of extensive research that outlines all aspects of the care that our seniors are receiving in this province.
Then I read her news release, which gains much more attention than the actual report does.
She has highlighted the rising problem of 鈥渞esident-on-resident aggression鈥� in care facilities, and stated that she would be looking for 鈥渟ystemic issues鈥� that contribute to this problem.
I am disappointed by this statement because the solution to this problem is contained within the information in her report, which she failed to mention in her news release.
And that information is, that licensing violations have increased by 21 per cent since 2014. And that the largest majority of those violations, at 44 per cent, are in the category of 鈥渃are and supervision,鈥� and 19.8 per cent in the category of 鈥渟taffing.鈥� And in assisted living, the largest percentage of complaints are in the category of 鈥渞esident abuse, neglect, and self abuse鈥�.
Eureka! I have discovered the obvious solution to improving the quality of care for our seniors, that oddly enough, the entire Health Ministry has failed to notice or acknowledge. And those are: An increase in staff levels, mandatory evaluations for the 鈥渁ppropriate type鈥� of employees, and more training for dealing with dementia-related issues. All of these solutions to be found in a report that 90 per cent of B.C. citizens will never read.
Do you think that our tax dollars will now be saved because 鈥渓ooking for the systemic issues鈥� should no longer be necessary?
Judy Galley,
Sorrento
