A new report from Saskatchewan’s provincial auditor has made a number of recommendations about how the Ministry of Health can improve its inspections of special care homes.
The ministry started inspecting the homes — which provide nursing and personal care to people who can’t live independently because of old age, disabilities or other health conditions — in December of 2021.
According to auditor Tara Clemett’s report, the frequency of inspections didn’t align with best practices, and the ministry needs to use a risk-based approach that puts a priority on homes that have a higher likelihood of poor outcomes, based on reported incidents, public complaints and other factors.
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Clemett said the ministry is also lacking when it comes to re-inspections to confirm whether homes that had non-compliance issues were able to address those concerns. She said in some cases, it took more than 200 days for some issues to be fixed.
The report also found that two homes that were flagged as potentially administering antipsychotic drugs inappropriately weren’t inspected for more than three years after the inspections began.
“Regular, risk-based inspections at special-care homes and timely follow-up are essential to ensure safe, high-quality care of some of Saskatchewan’s most vulnerable residents and to maintain public trust in these facilities,” Clemett said.
“Publicly reporting inspection results would also foster transparency and could encourage homes to take timely action to address issues identified during inspections.”
The full report can be read online at the Provincial Auditor’s website.
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