Families protest no improvement to long-term seniors’ care

REGINA – Family members and advocates of patients in long-term care marched outside of the legislature Tuesday afternoon.

They say the government gave lip service to addressing concerns of under-staffing and inadequate care, but didn’t fix the problem.

Carrie Klassen brought her concerns about her mother Alvina to the health minister a year and a half ago.

“I’m back here because basically the same problems are going on and they haven’t fixed them,” she said.

Klassen has been looking after her mother daily because she said the staff is too over-worked to ensure her basic needs are met.

“People not getting on the toilet in a timely manner. Hygiene is getting missed: I got a call from a friend saying her father went to the dentist and had a whole bunch of cavities in six months because they basically said his teeth aren’t being brushed,” she said.

“I don’t want to have one girl look after me and nine or ten others. It’s not safe and it’s not adequate. And it’s scary,” said Marie Starkey, who drove from Estevan to take part in Tuesday’s the rally.

Last year, the government pledged $10 million to improve the quality of care at long-term care facilities across the province, but patients’ families say they still haven’t seen any improvement.

NDP health critic, Danielle Chartier said, “You’d think you’d start seeing some positive results and that has just not been the case. Again, the reality is there is just not enough staff and it’s been a huge issue around a lack of staff in our long-term care facilities to ensure that seniors have the care and dignity that they deserve.”

The government said seniors’ care is a top priority and it is doing its best to address these issues.

“The $10 million we provided last year and the ongoing dollars, those dollars are still rolling out obviously when you’re buying 700 pieces of equipment and you’re training staff. That’s not all going to happen in one month,” said Health Minister Dustin Duncan.

Seniors’ care was not mentioned in this year’s throne speech, but the minister said he would look at more funding in the budget.