The three staff members in charge of the 39-bed home that night had been enjoying a 7- to 15-minute smoke break when they entered the facility and heard the bell. They went to the men’s room and found the one man on the floor of the bathroom. The workers notified the Health Department. The man who fell died three days later at a hospital, though the incident report says “there is no evidence to conclude that the resident’s death was, or was not, related to the allegations of neglect,” according to The Canadian Press.

It remains in question when the man fell – whether it was before the workers went outside or while they were outside. It is also unclear whether the bell was rung while the staff was on smoke break, or if the call came only after they re-entered the building. The workers claim they were just outside the building in the courtyard and that they would have heard the bell from a nearby open window.

The Health Department report claims the bell could not be heard outdoors. The nursing home responded by issuing a memo to staff about not leaving residents unattended. The home also took disciplinary action against the employees, firing one for his role in the incident. The College of Registered Nurses held a professional misconduct investigation and issued a formal reprimand to a nurse in the unit.

A spokesman with the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly in Toronto said leaving residents unattended is very serious. “Even a 10-minute period can result in someone’s death if you have a serious situation.”

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Staffers leave nursing home residents unattended

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The NDP reports were created by a union representing health-care workers. Those producing the report recorded each time one of the five facilities surveyed were short-staffed. Staffing levels at nursing homes in Alberta were reportedly as low as two aides per 79 residents. NPD alerted an assistant deputy minister of health last fall and recommended staffing levels be legislated at one aide per five residents.

A spokesperson for the health ministry says that efforts have been made to address the staffing shortages at area nursing homes, including increasing funding in each of the past three years so that nursing homes could hire more employees. Determining effective patient-to-staff ratios, he said, should be well thought out and allow for flexibility rather than be randomly selected.

Canada’s nursing shortage has been an issue for years, prompting a series about “Failed Cure” in The Star. According to the 2008 report, as many as 20,000 nurses were needed in Canada and 40 percent of the country’s 250,000 nurses were poised to retire within the next five years. That report showed Canadian nurses working 18 million hours of overtime each year – the equivalent of 10,000 full-time jobs.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Canadian nursing shortage leads to resident neglect

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The Canadian Health Department, which investigated 73 reports filed under the Protection of Persons in Care Act, legislation that was passed and put into practice more than a year ago, qualified 30 of those reports. No details of the types of abuse were identified, but officials said that more than half of those cases were of physical or physical and emotional abuse.

“We know the staff-patient ratio are in some cases unacceptable. There are too many patients with very high needs for the number of staff on a shift,” said Maureen MacDonald, a New Democrat member of the legislature who was quoted in the story.

Health Department director of monitoring and evaluation Donna Dill said that most of the abuse cases reported were not serious physical harm. She says most of the time staff didn’t realize they were abusing patients. “We need to work with them so they can understand what abuse is,” Dill told the news service. Only a few of the cases resulted in staff firings, she said. Most are handled through disciplinary measures and training.

The Nova Scotia Association of Health Organizations, which represents most of the area’s nursing homes, released a statement saying it is working to create abuse-free environments and is working with its members to create anti-abuse policies and procedures.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Canada nursing home abuses linked to understaffing

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The LIKO 102EE mechanically lifting device is used to transfer people with limited mobility from a bed to a wheelchair. LIKO lifts are widely used in Canada and the United States. To date, there have been 12 reports of the LIKO lifts malfunctioning in the U.S. since 2005.

The deceased, Wally Baker, was a resident of Leisureworld Caregiving Centre (O’Connor Gate) in Toronto. He had fallen from the lift at the nursing home on April 30, 2008, and was pronounced dead four hours later after being transferred to a hospital.

Coroner Jim Edwards concluded that nursing home staff did not contribute to the malfunction of the lift, which authorities say should have been authorized by the company’s distributor. Edwards also recommended the lifts be removed from nursing homes until the manufacturer can identify and correct the problem.

Injuries from mechanical lifts are among the most occurring for both patients and caregiver. Caregivers and nursing home staff who use lifts should be thoroughly trained before using them.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Faulty mechanical lift blamed for nursing home resident death

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But as Catherine moved into her sunset years at the Lutheran Towers facility in Georgia, she had one regret she just couldn’t shake. She always wanted to graduate from Emory.

National nonprofit organization Second Wind Dreams got word of Catherine’s desire, dressed her in a cap and gown, and presented her with the distinction of being a member of Emory University’s Class of 1028.

For more than a decade, Atlanta, Ga.-based Second Wind Dreams has been enriching the lives of seniors by granting wishes. Many of these residents live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. To date, more than 235 facilities in 40 states, Canada and even India have see wishes granted by Second Wind Dreams.

The organization focuses on individuals living in long-term care facilities or in hospice care. Many of these individuals are without family support or financial resources. Dreams come in the form of motorcycle rides, bowling games, special first dates, and camel rides.

Eighty-six-year-old Virginia from West Virginia, dreamed of conducting a symphony orchestra. Second Wind Dreams arranged for her to take the podium at the West Virginia Symphony.

At a time when more than 90 percent of our nation’s nursing homes are cited for federal health and safety violations, it is rewarding to see an organization dedicated to making the lives of the elderly happy. A dream come true for one person, can warm the lives of many. As witnessed by Second Wind Dreams: “Long after a dream has been fulfilled, the effects linger, giving all involved a second wind.”

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Second Wind makes seniors’ dreams come true

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