PLP Call For Enquiry Into State Of Rest Homes
Following various complaints and concerns brought to his attention, Shadow Seniors Minister Derrick Burgess has called for an enquiry into the state of rest/nursing homes and the care of patients.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Mr Burgess said complaints emanating from family members of those in rest homes included having only cold water to wash, inadequate nutrition, lack of activity and a myriad of other concerns.
“If there are procedures in place for complaints to be satisfactorily investigated, why are so many problems going unanswered and why do so many families feel that complaining is useless?,” said Mr. Burgess.
“Why is it that the NOSPC only issues “recommendations” for addressing problems? An independent body should be empowered to issue directives with a timeline for their implementation, and penalties for noncompliance.”
Mr. Burgess’ full statement follows below:
The Statement issued by the Ministry of Health, dismissing the real concerns facing Bermudian seniors in our nursing/rest homes is deeply troubling. Before we can fight an issue, we must face it and if the Government refuses to face the real cases of abuse, neglect and poor treatment in the facilities they have been entrusted to oversee, than how will they ever be addressed?
The statement reads in part: ’Government’s role is one of enforcement of the Residential Care Homes and Nursing Homes regulations…carried out by a team of professionals led by the National Office for Seniors and Physically Challenged*’ Every statement following this sentence is lacking in integrity. If there are spot checks on nursing homes,’ with written reports and recommendation for improvement’, why are there so many private nursing homes on the Island that are in breach of regulations, making them little more than tombs for the living?
A number of small residential and nursing care homes of varying standards exist on the island. Some of these homes are in breach of the Residential Care Homes and Nursing Homes Act.
1. The Act states there shall be a nurse on duty at the home for not less than 8 hours a day, and a nurse on call for the rest of the time in each day.
2. An operator shall employ in a home a registered dietitian who shall be responsible for planning and approving appropriate diets for the residents of the home.
3. The operator shall provide daily at least 3 meals that are nutritious and suited to the special needs of the residents.
4. The operator shall designate a staff member to be responsible for managing activities and supervising volunteers, that person shall have such qualifications and experience as the chief medical officer considers appropriate.
Current complaints include:
Dreadful Care:
• ‘My (non-diabetic) uncle had a black toenail and then his foot became infected. They wouldn’t do anything about it, although I told them over and over again, and it was hurting him. By the time they took him to hospital his leg was black and had to be amputated. I did complain but nothing happened’’
• ‘I complained that my brother wasn’t being fed or washed, that he had huge bedsores and was lying on a hard mattress I and others, even healthcare professionals, complained over time to NOSPC; they didn’t do anything except tell the nursing home once to do better, but nothing improved and they didn’t follow it up..**
• ‘My mother has had only cold water to wash with since she entered the nursing home two months ago. She was woken at 5.45am this morning and ordered to get up immediately. When she didn’t comply, she was shouted at and all the bedclothes were ripped off her. Breakfast is not till 8.30am.
• They tied my brother to his bed with a leather strap at night. One day, they gave me a bill for a new strap because they said he had broken it. They didn’t need to tie him in. He was immobile after having a stroke.’**
Inadequate and inappropriate nutrition
• ‘We are given so little it’s no more than half a cup of nothing’
• ‘They gave my brother cold noodles and sometimes chopped up hot dogs.
• ‘There’s hardly any fresh fruit and vegetables. Once there was some salad.’
• ‘My mother only had thin soup and a few cubes of Jello for her evening meal at 5pm.’
• ‘Sometimes we only get a sandwich from 5pm till breakfast the next day.’’
• ‘The food is so bad we sometimes flush it down the toilet.’
Lack of activity and stimulation:
• ‘My grandmother is made to sit in a circle in the same chair all day. She doesn’t get the chance to get up, walk around or be active. I am worried that she isn’t getting any fresh air. She’s been two years sitting in the same chair, looking at the same faces except when somebody dies. I spoke to the manager, but nothing has changed.’
• ‘When I visit I see some residents tied up by belts and propped up in a chair for hours. It looks horribly uncomfortable as they are slumped right over. It’s always the same people whenever I visit. You wouldn’t treat people in prison like that.’
Inappropriate behavior by staff:
• ‘I went up to Somerset to see my uncle, and stopped at the supermarket on the way. One of the staff from his care home was there, and told me the owner had put all the residents into her car and taken them up to a different rest home in St. David’s. The families had not been informed, and were not given a reason. When I went up to St. David’s to check on my uncle, he’d been put in a room with three younger men in street clothes who were sleeping there. They were obviously not genuine residents. The beds weren’t even proper beds, they were like children’s beds.
• ‘The staff took him by his collar and shook him like they were choking him.’
• ‘They banged on his bed rails with a spoon while they were feeding him – bang, bang, bang, to try and get him to eat faster.’
• ‘His watch disappeared, then his radio and then his dentures. They said, well his watch was only a cheap one and his dentures didn’t fit. When we moved him, I asked for his clothes, and they gave me a bundle of rags that weren’t even his.’
• There is constant verbal abuse.
One staff member was caught choking a patient. Another patient was slapped by a staff member. Patients are pulled and jerked, and some forced down on the toilet.
• I went to the NOSPC and complained over and over again about my father’s rough nursing home treatment until they eventually agreed to meet me. He (the NOSPC manager) spoke to me as if I was a criminal and he was the judge. Nothing was done. My father died, and I am still angry about it.”
• I went to the NOSPC to complain about a resident in atrocious condition who obviously needed immediate medical attention. Others had also complained about his condition. He was so neglected that a complaint had been made to the police. NOSPC never got back to me. The manager of NOSPC did respond to the police: ‘I have spoken to the patient’s GP, who feels there is no need to move him.’ The patient was transported by a charity to another facility, and immediately assessed by their doctor as ‘suffering from malnutrition, dehydration and in immediate need of nursing care.’
The above concerns are all recent and unsolicited. If there are procedures in place for complaints to be satisfactorily investigated, why are so many problems going unanswered and why do so many families feel that complaining is useless?
Why is it that the NOSPC only issues “recommendations” for addressing problems? An independent body should be empowered to issue directives with a timeline for their implementation, and penalties for noncompliance.
I think it is time that we should have an enquiry into the state of rest/nursing homes and the care of its patients.
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This situation is a disgrace. I don’t care about any of the politics—only our elderly and how we must fix this.
“It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.”
Hubert H. Humphrey
I agree with Mr. Burgess as my grandfather was in a pretty shady rest home up until his death a few years back. And then have the nerve to charge outrageous prices.
However, it is unfortunate that all of a sudden Mr. Burgess notes this as being an issue, especially after castigating ‘Auntie’ Louise Jackson years when she brought these issues to the public’s attention time and time again. Reminds me of when they denied Ms. Jackson entrance to Lefroy House a few years back.
But I digress and once again note my agreement for a special enquiry to be undertaken for this problem which has existed in Bermuda for many years now.
@ LiarLiar: I don’t believe anyone could have been more truthful / to the point as you when referring to the negligence of these, (some) same places as were the former Govt. the Progressive Labour Party and now, all of a sudden, “the shoe is on the other foot”
Derrick, this is not Cinderella we are talking about. You my man were a great part of the problem and now you are coming off like you’re an angel. Why am I surprised?
How long has this situation existed Mr. Burgess and why did you give Ms. Jackson such a hard time when she was fighting for change in elder care?
It is RICH seeing you so concerned now.
It’s a shame the PLP cannot find a more credible minister to represent this very dire situation.
Burgess…name the rest homes and identify each rest homes concerns and the concerns originated.
Then identify when the PLP was first informed.
The same people that work in these departments responsible for upkeep and network with private homes and residents where the elderly are cared for, have bee remiss in doing their duty for years, Mrs. Jackson discovered this same dilemma… there will always be problems just like at the hospital or hotels where there are large groups of people residing together.. this is nothing new and will not change overnight as money is also an issue, and this government cut the budget for several homes… doesn’t matter what party is in government, people who run these establishments are not controlled by government only regarding certain policies.. If you have relatives in homes, visit them as often as possible to ensure their treatment is given respectfully. Nursing associates, caregivers are some of the most worked people in our society who get burnt out rather quickly because of the heavy load of work, they are also underpaid and this is also part of the problem.. these essential workers should be given adequate assistance and time of just to prevent burn out, and the administrators of these places need assistance from public sometimes to volunteer for various times during the day. the public can help a great deal visiting the homes and offering to take some of the elderly to events or services on sat or sun..This is a community effort, everyone is heading that way eventually at some point we all require care, we should respect these people now and the role they play in society..
While we are at it, perhaps we should have an enquiry into PLP leaders giving illegal drugs to minors.
Lets call for an enquiry into the state of Marc Bean’s mind. What planet is he on? Oh wait! The herb planet……
RESIGN, RESIGN, RESIGN – he should resign for possession of illegal substances, giving drugs to a minor,and for generally being a total waste of space!
There should be a quarterly thorough check /inspection of both facility a each cient interviewed indevidualy by a professional.Otherwise the license be revoked….why stop there…ethics in health care pricing….insurance pricing for what they offer or charter brought in question,with charter as penance for ethical non ethical,reasonable…unreasonable…attainable…unattainable……foriture of company charter fo negative results!
Qualifications of all staff in our Rest Homes should be updated yearly and if there are any that are not qualified, there should be mandated they attend Bermuda College for the courses offered there
There are families who point out problems with their loved ones in CCU in hospital and in homes and they are either not attended to (the concerns) or over looked I encourage families to be proactive when it comes to their elderly family members, friends and any elderly person they know are in facilities and are not receiving the proper care and attention. Many of these persons are not able to speak for themselves and if they are as mentioned earlier are being overlooked
It really gets my goat to see all this compassion and concern coming out once the PLP were placed in as the official opposition. This compassion and concern should have been a priority a long time ago but now it is just coming to light Mr. Burgess!? Hidden agendas are all I see now with gaining the Government at all costs by both sides!
A govt that seeks the best for her people rather than pander to company or individual bottom line!
Well the state of homes indicates that the PLP talks a good game, but never delivered to those people.
that is all the PLP ever did.
TALK A GOOD TALK.
They never, ever, walked the walk.
Mr. Burgess is calling for more welfare and more government intervention. If patients are not being properly served families should move them – let the market resolve the issue.
Not more government.
There needs to be periodic reviews and a complaints committee. Does it need to be Government directly???
Perhaps the relatives of people in the homes can form a committee to address issues directly with rest homes, with that committe having access to Government watchdog and issuing minutes from their meeting to put on file with Govt Watchdog.
People who are directly affected or indirectly affected are the best people to demand accountability.
Those committees than address issues with Rest homes…if not listened to or addressed by the rest home, then the committe follows up with the Govt watchdog, who pulls all the minutes and investigates the complaint.
Govt bodies going in cold is inefficent and only sees surface issues on cold visits.
You are pre-supposing that there are a plethora of options and that people are able to afford the alternatives…
It’s the NEW (old) Ms. Jackson what where all the PLP bloggers and MP saying about Ms. Jackson happing on the state of the elderly. I even remeber them laughing at her as she tried to speak on it. My how things change once they lost the election they.
LOL
note; i do not agree with the simpltons on here about Mark Bean. I think they are just scornfull.
Why must I always think for you?
I’drag you kicking and screaming into the twety first century one way or the other…brace yourselves…
When PLP was in power they were like pigs at the trough – in it for themselves. The very people at the bottom of the scale, who voted them in, are now worse off than ever as a result of PLP’s appalling performance.
How this man can pontificate like this with a straight face is remarkable.
You’ll notice he’s done OK meanwhile, old folks sleep in there own bodily fluids.
Do you have no shame sir?
Name them and shame them. Why all the secrecy? This is not yesterday’s problem. It has been going on for many years and paying $10,000 a month does not guarantee tender loving care for our seniors. Bermuda needs to take much better care of the elderly. So much time, effort and resources are given to the young black make, while there is neglect of the people who built this country. I am not quite sure why this has become Mr. Burgess’ mantra since he had many years to set the foundation for a good Eldercare programme. Incidentally Mr. Burgess, please practice reading your speeches before you present them, as clearly you have not written them.
The government should also investigate parents who abuse their children by giving them illegal drugs.
the defunct and failed plp should have fixed these homes years ago when there were in power,but no,they were only interested in Self,Family n Friends and going around the world on trips and now they have the nerve to try anything to prove how caring they are..they care only about themselves.
While I think Mr Burgess should have used his time in Government to highlight this issue perhaps joined forces with Mrs Jackson instead of waiting so long……..I do believe better care of our seniors is needed ,some of these rest homes and you need to understand the difference between a rest home and a nursing home, their care is diabolical the abuse that goes on is unacceptable, there is I think an Elder Abuse legislation where health professionals are mandated to report Elder Abuse, family members need to step up just because they are in a rest home go visit them set up a Rota where there is a family member going each day at different times to see their relative do spot checks when they ,the facility, are not expecting you, everyone has to do their part cause let’s face we are all getting older and if we do not solve and deal with this issue if will be soon be all of us sitting in these rest homes!!!!!!
When you call the health dept and complain about the condition of these so called REST HOMES…. nothing gets done and you never get a call back from them !!!!
I think there should be surprise visits from the health dept.
Sadly this, and other entities with government oversight have been ill managed and under inspected. With all due respect, this issue couldn’t have sprung up in the last 18-20 months and has to have been festering for a LOT longer than that.
Look at the damage to Lefroy house after hurricane Fabian – how long did that take to get repaired? As recently as 2011 Louise Jackson was taking the PLP to task for repairs that were still “ongoing” since 2007 and as far back as 2004?!
If the state of our care facilities is suddenly an issue, why wasn’t it a priority under the previous administration?
We wanna know more about “smack down in the kitchen gate “