Norm Macdonald MLA                                Columbia River – Revelstoke

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

February 25th, 2008

Complaints about loved one’s care ignored; Minister of Health dismisses issues as nonsense

VICTORIA -- Jacquie Clinton and Lori Drew are two women who have committed themselves to telling the truth about the care their parents received at Joseph Creek Care Village, a private care facility in Cranbrook.  Staffing levels that are too low to provide adequate care and safety for residents are being blamed for incidents within the care facility that left residents at risk.

“Staff do the very best they can and often seem to be doing the jobs of two or even three people.  They run off their feet trying to make sure that these residents who they have come to know and love are taken care of.  When they are consistently working short staffed, I don’t think it takes much of an imagination to see the disaster waiting to happen,” declared Ms. Clinton in a written statement on February 22nd, 2008.

Joseph Creek Care Village claims to meet the minimum standards for staff as required by the provincial government.

“It is clear that the standards for care by this government are not acceptable,” stated Norm Macdonald, MLA for Columbia River – Revelstoke.  “It is certainly cheaper for operators to limit staffing but it leaves vulnerable seniors alone and afraid.”

Reports from families include stories of fallen seniors left on the floor because not enough staff were available to assist and loved ones developing infections because of a lack of incontinence care.

“British Columbians do not believe that allowing seniors to spend their final days feeling neglected and forgotten is in any way acceptable.  The Minister of Health needs to take full responsibility for the state of seniors care in this province and take immediate steps to improve the minimum standard of care.”

Macdonald is calling on the government to support the private member’s bill put forward by Opposition Leader Carole James last fall to establish a Representative for Seniors, an independent office of the Legislature.