Expand home care, says P.E.I. long-term care review

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A evaluation of Prince Edward Island’s long-term care properties has emphasised growing older at dwelling is commonly a greater choice for Island seniors and known as for elevated funding for dwelling care.

The evaluation, first promised two years in the past by former well being minister James Aylward, was posted online by the Division of Well being and Wellness on June 9.

Accomplished in March 2022, the evaluation recognized a number of challenges in eldercare on P.E.I., together with growing demand for dementia care and for seniors’ complicated care wants.

It additionally recognized challenges with info sharing between private and non-private long-term care properties.

A recurring theme of the evaluation targeted on prioritizing expanded dwelling care helps.

“P.E.I.’s present system of care is skewed towards institutionalizing older adults within the absence of different choices which can be required to stop untimely admission to long-term care properties similar to well being promotion, restorative care, and residential care,” stated the report. 

“With out a shift to extend funding for dwelling and community-based care and help, the well being system won’t be able to satisfy high quality requirements or system sustainability.”

“With out a shift to extend funding for dwelling and community-based care and help, the well being system won’t be able to satisfy high quality requirements or system sustainability.” — Division of Well being and Wellness

Extra beds wanted

The report warned P.E.I. might must develop the variety of long-term care beds by 35 per cent – or by 435 beds – by 2025 if present practices proceed.

Presently, 20 per cent of P.E.I.’s inhabitants is over the age of 65. By 2025, 1 in 4 Islanders might be older than 65.

The Canadian Institute for Well being Data discovered that, in 2017, about 30 per cent of adults in residential care might have been supported by dwelling care.

Reached on a deck throughout a sunny afternoon on June 10, Maureen Larkin says she is presently a resident at a long-term care facility. She stated she would have most popular to stay in her dwelling.

“Homecare — you do not get very a lot,” she advised SaltWire in a telephone interview.

Larkin, a long-time social activist, has Parkinson’s illness. House look after her would imply extra help with issues like cooking, mild housekeeping or administration of treatment.

However Larkin was unable to search out the helps she wanted.

“She wanted somebody to return and ensure she took her meds. She wanted somebody to do some cooking for her — even a companion to be along with her. To go for walks along with her,” stated Maureen’s sister Florence Larkin, who occurred to be sitting along with her on the deck on June 10. “There simply wasn’t something out there underneath the general public health-care system.”

“We residents have only a few decisions in how we dwell our lives in a nursing dwelling. It’s the nursing dwelling that decides after we rise up, eat our meals, take our meds, go to mattress, what actions we do, and the way usually.” — Maureen Larkin

In an opinion column submitted by Larkin, she described the nursing dwelling mannequin as being “primarily based on a parent-child relationship.”

“We residents have only a few decisions in how we dwell our lives in a nursing dwelling,” Larkin wrote. “It’s the nursing dwelling that decides after we rise up, eat our meals, take our meds, go to mattress, what actions we do, and the way usually.”

P.E.I.’s seniors well being providers plan, launched in final fall, additionally stated that restricted dwelling care or group help providers has meant a rise in stays of older adults who’re “caught” in hospital awaiting a discharge to an acceptable location.

This identical plan known as for improved information info programs in eldercare. P.E.I. has lately carried out a brand new InterRAI information system for each long-term care and residential care.

The five-year senior well being providers plan doc, posted on-line by the Division of Well being, didn’t establish to what diploma particular providers in dwelling care will have to be expanded, nor how a lot will have to be invested within the coming years.

Public and personal properties

The long-term care evaluation famous a number of variations within the ranges of care between private and non-private long-term care properties in P.E.I.

Public nursing properties had been extra more likely to provide residents personal rooms whereas personal properties supplied “variable designs” with some websites providing shared rooms and loos.

The report additionally famous a disparity in employees pay between personal and public long-term care properties. The common care employee makes between $21 and $22 an hour in public properties, whereas care employee wages in personal amenities are between $16 and $19 an hour. Some properties even provide wages between $12 and $16 an hour.

The report really useful aligning high quality and security measures between private and non-private properties.

The evaluation – which had been requested by SaltWire many instances over the past two years, together with in late February – was quietly launched on-line someday after representatives of a number of unions of long-term care employees spoke earlier than a legislative standing committee. Union leaders stated understaffing is leading to considerably worse look after Island seniors.

SaltWire additionally submitted a freedom of data request for the evaluation on Could 27.

Stu Neatby is a political reporter with SaltWire Community in Charlottetown. [email protected]  @stu_neatby