Tuesday, November 26th, I spoke on the Legislature in a Members Statement on Personal Care Homes and our recent Forum, and then I asked questions of the Minister of Health. My Members Statement and Questions are below:
Members Statement about our Forum on Personal Care Homes
Last Saturday, the MLA for Tyndall Park
and I brought together constituents at a Forum on Improving Care and Preventing
Tragedies in Manitoba’s Personal Care Homes.
We looked at what is a tragedy in such home. Tragedies include fires - and falls where a
hip is broken or a head is injured.
Tragedies also include when a family member is not allowed to visit
their loved one in the personal care home, or when a person dies in a home
unhappy and angry about the quality of care he or she received.
We had four excellent panelists. Connie
Newman, Executive Director of the Manitoba Association of Senior’s Centres
emphasized the importance of having someone who is an effective advocate for care
home residents. Michelle Gawronsky,
President of MGEU, discussed staffing levels. The care needs of residents are
much greater today than 1986 which I understand was the date of the last review
of staffing levels in personal care homes.
Dolores Minkus-Hofley, whose husband is in a personal care home, talked
of the need to improve staffing and training for personnel in personal care
homes. Robert Rose Jr, son of former St
Vital MLA Bob Rose spoke of the over-use of anti-psychotic medications for
residents like his father.
The Forum brought to light numerous disturbing
concerns. There were also many suggestions for improvements.
There is a need for a review of staffing levels and training requirements
for those working in personal care homes in our province, as was emphasized at
the Forum and in a recent MARCHE report.
While some personal care homes are doing a
good job, others are falling short. One
suggestion for action is to better identify best practices in personal care
homes which are doing a good job and to use this to improve personal care homes
where there are shortcomings.
Thank you, Merci, Meegwitch
Questions to the Minister of Health
Personal-Care Homes - Restrictions on Visitations
Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam
Speaker, one of the sad stories to hit the news in recent days was about
families of residents in personal-care homes in Ontario who were being
prevented or severely limited in being able to see their loved ones. Similar
situations are occurring here in Manitoba, with family members being prevented
or severely restricted in being able to see their loved ones in a personal-care
home. There's an urgent need to address this.
Will this have to come to a court case as
in Ontario, or will the minister take action to make sure that close relatives
will be able to visit their loved ones while they are in personal-care homes?
Hon. Cameron Friesen (Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living): The member for River Heights referenced
a recent panel that he held and he referenced Connie Newman. That is a name
that is familiar to many of us, who is the executive director of the Manitoba
association for senior centres.
We thank Connie and her organization
for their ongoing endorsement of our government's initiatives to reduce
ambulance fees. She made other supportive comments of our government when we
recently continued to provide the flu vaccine in personal-care homes at a
higher dose to keep residents safe. We thank Connie Newman and her organization
for her representations, that she continues to say we're going in the right
direction.
Madam Speaker: The
honourable member for River Heights, on a supplementary question.
Need for Improvement of Conditions in Personal Care Homes
Mr. Gerrard: Typically, my
question not answered.
Those who have to
live in personal-care homes and their families should be able to be sure that
the days residents spend there–which may include the last few days of their
life–will be happy ones where they can receive good care. It is very sad, as I
heard from a daughter of one resident, when the last words of a person who
passed away in a personal-care home were about how awful it was to be there.
Currently,
conditions in some care–personal-care homes in Manitoba are 'folling' far short
of what they should be, as we heard at our recent forum.
What actions will the Minister of Health
be taking to immediately improve conditions in Manitoba's personal-care homesand
to prevent tragedies from occurring?
Mr. Friesen: The minister–or the member for River Heights mentioned that another
panelist he had at his event was Michelle Gawronsky. That is a name that is
very familiar to those of us in the Chamber, of course. She is the president of
the MGEU, Manitoba government employees union.
Recently we were pleased to see the
representation votes take place under Bill 29. Manitoba had over 180 unique
collective bargaining agreements, and now with those votes having taken place,
while I know MGEU representation did diminish, the real winners are Manitobans
with under 40 representative unions now representing labour in the province of
Manitoba.
Madam Speaker: The
honourable member for River Heights, on a final supplementary.
Staffing and Training Review
Mr. Gerrard: Madam Speaker,
again, no answer.
Michelle Gawronsky
did say that there has not been a review of staffing and training in
personal-care homes since 1986. The minister should undertake such a review as
soon as possible.
Dr. Malcolm Doupe
at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy has published a series of indicators
of the performance of Winnipeg's personal-care homes. He found some care homes
are doing well while others are performing poorly.
The minister should
review what well-functioning homes are doing and use this information to
improve conditions and prevent tragedies at poorly performing homes.
Will the minister do this?
Mr. Friesen: I remind all
members there are measures. There are standards. There are procedures in place
in all personal-care homes across Manitoba in order to keep people safe. If the
member has specific information that he wants to share, I invite him to bring
it forward.
We are proud of the investments that we
are making in personal-care homes across Manitoba.
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