City must open long-term care sessions to public

We’d like to think it’s a good thing that the City of Ottawa plans feedback sessions for those who have relatives in its long-term care homes. But so many hurdles are being thrown in the way of people who wish to attend that the exercise looks to be of limited value. The organizers certainly don’t seem to think transparency is important.

These “engagement sessions” follow several Citizen news stories about problems in longterm care. Good: The problems, including 200 instances over the past five years in which the four city-run facilities were not complying with legislation on how to run care homes, would never have become known to the broader public without our reporters digging into allegations of mistreatment at the homes.

Since 2012, there have been at least 19 instances of patient abuse — either sexual, verbal or physical — at city homes that have led to noncompliance reports. The Citizen found one case where a resident was forced to eat in the dining hall wearing nothing but a bed sheet and diaper.

So yes, those “engagement meetings” are past due. But the city insists on pre-registration — members of the public will have to identify themselves and provide personal information that basically names the relative in care — and journalists can’t sit in. “To foster open discussion and frank conversations, attendance at the consultations is open only to residents, families, staff and volunteers at City-run Long Term Care homes,” said an emailed statement from city media relations. It was attributed to Janice Burelle, general manager of community and social services. The city said Monday she was not available for an interview.

This restrictive approach to meetings is problematic for both families and the greater public. First, many families fear speaking up about the conditions of their relatives in care, in case there are reprisals against the patient (or against the family itself ). Second, the problems only surfaced because journalists and others shone some light into what is happening in long-term care. To intimidate families and exclude the media is no recipe for accountability.

Instead, the city looks like it wants to ensure the shades are drawn. Even Coun. Diane Deans, who heads the committee that oversees longterm care, did “not have the availability” to answer questions from us Monday.

It’s not right to hold these meetings behind closed doors. The public has an intense interest in knowing what is going on in the city’s homes. Municipal government and those who administer the facilities are accountable not just to residents and families but also to the public.

So invite the public to the meetings. It’s a first step to accountability.