Elder care advocates calling for greater protections following death at Dartmouth facility

The death of a 70-year-old man at a continuing care facility in Dartmouth this week has elder care advocates renewing their calls for greater protection of those living in facilities throughout the province.

Gary MacLeod is with the group Advocates for the Care of the Elderly, a group dedicated to improving the quality of life for those living in long-term care.

“We do a very poor job of looking after our elderly population,” said MacLeod.

“I never, ever fault the workers. It’s just that there’s not enough trained staff to protect them from injury and, unfortunately, deaths do occur.”

READ MORE: Nova Scotia elderly care advocates want government to address ‘neglect’ in nursing homes

Documents obtained under a Freedom of Information request filed by the group earlier this year revealed there were more than 900 incidents of abuse reported under the Protection of Persons in Care Act between 2013 and June of this year.

“There’s 200 on the average every year that are reported. Only 20 per cent are investigated. Some are founded and some unfounded,” said MacLeod, adding he would like to see the province hire additional investigators to handle the reports.

“In a lot of cases, there’s really no transparency and there isn’t anybody held responsible or facility held responsible.”

READ MORE: Canada’s lack of long-term care space is forcing seniors as far as 200 km from home

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Wellness told Global News for every complaint received under the Protection for Persons in Care Act, an inquiry is conducted to determine whether an investigation is warranted.

“When it is determined that an investigation will be conducted, it involves interviewing relevant parties, analyzing evidence such as documentation, policies, statements or videos. On conclusion of an investigation, a finding into the allegation is made and directives may be issued to the facility. Relevant individuals will also receive a copy of the findings and any resulting directives,” Tracy Barron said in an email Friday.

“When directives are issued, the facility is required to submit an action plan to DHW outlining how they will address the directives. This action plan requires DHW approval and DHW will continue to monitor until satisfied that the plan has been implemented. ”

MacLeod said he would like to see the staff working in continuing care facilities receive more training on de-escalating violent situations.