LONG-TERM LAWSUIT
Today, we report another tragic story of protection gone wrong for a senior in an Ottawa long-term care home. And it appears the death of 91-year-old Doris Lawton is headed to court, after her grandson filed a negligence suit against Carlingview Manor, where she was a resident.
Ontario’s long-term care facilities can expect more such legal action until the province finally overhauls its flawed, rationed approach to longterm care.
Lawton died Oct. 19 from a blood clot in her lung, having endured hip fractures, surgeries and multiple long hospital stays — all after being moved to a long-term care home that was supposed to provide safety and support for the Alzheimer’s patient. Her grandson, Bradley Sproule, believes the home could have prevented some of her repeated falls by following through on its own care plans for her. But he alleges Carlingview Manor did not, and is suing.
According to Sproule’s allegations, which haven’t been tested in court, simple things such as bed rails and battery replacements in bed alarms were neglected. Sproule also says staff tried to prevent him from taking pictures documenting the lack of care.
Revera Long Term Care Inc. declined to comment, but we know such stories are far from isolated. Last fall, a worker at the Garry J. Armstrong home who repeatedly hit Georges Karam, 89, in the face got jail time. In another local case, video captured an 85-year-old disabled woman being taunted by workers who would tell her “Die ... you need to die now.”
Lack of staff is one clear problem in long-term care. More complex patient needs are another. Lack of transparency (and thus, accountability) is yet another. In many cases, Health Ministry inspection reports are vague, or inspectors simply take the word of home administrators that problems are fixed.
The Ontario government knows which longterm care facilities are “high risk” but has not, so far, shared this publicly. The reason is obvious. Because government sets the maximum price of a long-term care bed, budgets to run facilities are tight (no matter whether public or private) while demand is high. Waiting lists for care are often years long. Imagine how much longer they would be for “low risk” facilities if families knew which were deemed “high risk.”
The province needs to do better, not simply provide policy Band-Aids during an election period. As tumultuous as Ontario politics are just now, all parties have an obligation to offer long-term care plans for, well, the long term. Voters with vulnerable family members will be watching.