Dear Editor:
Long-term care facilities across Alberta have come under the gun.
Changes, as to how funding will be allocated to nursing homes, have been imposed by Alberta Health Services (AHS), and these will adversely effect the quality of resident care. Naturally, AHS does not call it funding cuts but with their new funding model, based on “rehabilitation” focused care, the care for residents with dementia is not highly rated.
This is surprising, especially since the overwhelming majority of residents in all Bethany Care Centres — 75 per cent plus — suffer from dementia, ranging from moderate to severe. With this new “rehabilitation” focused funding model, AHS can smugly defend the reduction in staffing levels that are currently being implemented. This grand sounding funding model clearly disguises its real intent, to cut funding. People with dementia do not need rehabilitation, they need consistent nursing care. So, who are we kidding?
At the Bethany Care Centre in Cochrane, seven positions will be scrapped. Undoubtedly, these cuts may literally have a “killing” effect on people, residents and staff alike, and, sadly, this is not just metaphorically speaking.
For clarification, the long-term care facility at Bethany Cochrane is home to 78 residents.
One of the three units is a locked wing for residents with severe dementia, as well as people with brain injuries and mental illness. Severe dementia means unpredictable behaviour that can and does erupt into violence frequently.
As of April 8 staffing will be cut to levels that will neither guarantee safety nor reasonable care for the residents in all three units. The nightshift, currently staffed by three health-care aides plus one RN, will be cut to two HCAs plus the RN required by law. However, with the start of the nightshift at 11 p.m., until 7 a.m., staff are also responsible for the well-being of a further 42 residents who live on the assisted living side.
Since the RN is expected to fulfill their own set of duties, the immediate care for the physical health and safety of 120 residents rests entirely with two staff. The math is simple and downright scary. A more detailed look at the work load reveals that at least 76 residents require one or more changes of their incontinence pad.
Four to six complete bed changes become necessary and, on average, 50 to 60 call bells are waiting to be answered. The day and evening shifts are similarly affected. To add insult to injury, AHS suddenly deems it necessary that each resident should be entitled to two baths a week, not just one.
Cutting staffing levels inevitably means cutting care. Cutting care inevitably leads to more falls that go undetected for longer periods of time, increased skin breakdown as toileting and changes of incontinence pads cannot be done as often, increased behavioral challenges due to boredom and frustration, etc. Ironically, skin breakdown and the resulting wound care will attract more funding.
Those, who had the audacity to publicly claim that long-term care homes were grossly overfunded need to take a very close look at the realities of geriatric care.
In their old age, they are being denied the returns of their toils and strives. That is shameful.
The LPNs and HCAs of the Bethany Care Centre in Cochrane
