Care concerns over patient relocation

Sharon McLeay

Times Contributor 

 

Glenn Scott, VP with the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), met with the Strathmore community on April 18, at the Strathmore Legion. He said that through his work with seniors he has seen patient care in Alberta deteriorate significantly in the past 10 years. He was concerned about the moves announced for 23 seniors from the Strathmore Hospital Extended Care Ward. He said there are health risks for seniors in moving them to new facilities. 

“We know frail seniors have a hard time adapting to change and losing the relationships with their caregivers and establishing new ones is difficult, often creating or worsening health conditions,” said Scott.

Dr. Leon Pastalen conducted a study in Michigan of 61 elderly patients moved from one nursing home to another. Within the year more than half the patients died, a 28 per cent increased rate of mortality than what had occurred in the home previously. He stated those who died had one or all of three factors evident: the patient was over 80, they were confused about their time and place, had poor medical prognosis. Pastalen has authored many books on the effects housing decisions have on the elderly.

A staff member from the Strathmore hospital, who was present at the meeting, made the point that if clients currently need medical care, it is close at hand.

“If they need blood work, x-rays or physician care, we just push them in a wheel chair down the hall and they can get it,” the worker said.

She suggested that after the move, patients will have to suffer frequent transfers to hospital and back via ambulance. She said it will be hard on the patients, costly to the province or family members and tie up the community ambulance resources. 

A family member witnessed that the reason his mother was located in the hospital was because her condition required too many EMS calls from home. He did not want to have the move take place and put her back in the same situation, causing setbacks to her health. He was also concerned how medical assessments would be graded. 

Scott stated there had been changes to patient assessment levels to accommodate private care homes. It was unclear whether medical conditions would be changed to adapt to the private home criteria. 

Alberta Health Services has not said what happens to patients whose care needs are more severe than the private facility can accommodate. 

A worker from the Sagewood facility said that she had seen some of the immobile patients left sitting in uncomfortable positions or unattended. She felt the lack of medical staff, or those with low experience had increased injury rates necessitating ambulance response to the facility.

Scott said private homes are run on a profit basis, which extends to their hiring practises and generally reflects in the quality of care given the patients.  He would not agree with President Doug Mills of the Alberta Senior Citizens’ Housing Association, who said, 

“The private sector, alongside the not-for-profit and public sectors, has been successfully operating Continuing Care facilities in Alberta for several decades. Choices made by Government in the delivery of Continuing Care in Alberta should not relate to who will now be managing them. All continuing care facilities, regardless of the ownership, are licensed and are required to meet Alberta’s Continuing Care Standards.”

Scott said private facilities usually have staff with less credentials and experience and generally less staff ratios are required compared to hospitals. Private facilities don’t have to adhere to the same regulations as hospitals and are not responsible to the Health Minister. 

MLA Jason Hale stood up for Strathmore’s patients in the Alberta Legislature, stating his deep concerns the move would have on their care. He chided the decision makers that put money in government official’s pockets, taken from senior’s pockets through cuts to their programs, putting vulnerable senior’s health at risk. He vowed to keep fighting such actions. See YouTube for his audio clip from question period.

Councillor Bob Sobol from the Town of Strathmore stood at the meeting to say that the town was concerned about the moves and would be supporting seniors and their families.

People wanted more information about the costs families would face because of the move. AHS has stated they will grandfather patients into the new facility, with no cost increases. However, Scott was not confident how long the grandfather clause will last. There are services that the hospital now provides that will be charged as extra costs for patients at Sagewood. There are charges for: extra care outside scheduled procedures, laundry service, attendant moves outside of regular services, in-room cable and phone, hair dressing. 

Scott encouraged the people of Strathmore to advocate for the seniors. He said it is increasingly clear rural care homes are disappearing and government is favouring centralized private care facilities. He has seen public pressure force Government to change policies.

“We have to push back and make them uncomfortable. A lot of people in this town care. There are over 12,000 people in this town so we need to make them aware,” said Scott. “I am hoping we can have success here in Strathmore. It is not only an issue for employees it affects the whole community.”