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Island Health probe unable to substantiate criticism of facility in Campbell River

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Aide cites neglect at facility,

Unchanged briefs, feces on the floor and catheter bags with congealed urine are conditions a care aide says she documented at a Campbell River care home.

With an Island Health investigation underway, some say the allegations point to larger problems such as understaffing, while others say they’re unfounded.

Jenna Hagel, who operates an independent home-care service called Full Circle Care, served a private client at New Horizons Community of Care from May 2016 until January. During that time, she says she documented neglect. In one case, she said she reported a small rash twice weekly for five months, until it grew so large it couldn’t be ignored. She also said her client’s neighbour had the call-bell on for one hour before being able to use the bathroom.

Hagel said that while individual cases are concerning, the legal standard of care is too low and much of what she documented wouldn’t be considered neglect — for example, the lack of water in a room.

“I would love to see more care homes look after the person as a whole … more attention, more one-on-one care, bringing care back to the bedside and treating those people like they’re your family,” Hagel said.

Former employee Angela Wolchuk also told CHEK News, which first reported the story, that she found one nurse crying at the end of a 12-hour shift. She was exhausted after administering medication for three floors on her own and had been asked to remain for another 12 hours, Wolchuk said.

But Tim Orr, director of residential service for Island Health, said an ongoing investigation has found no evidence of wrongdoing.

“When the original allegations came out on Facebook, our licensing officers were in the very next morning, unannounced, and did a pretty significant review of the building and were not able to substantiate those allegations. Their investigation is ongoing and they do a very thorough job,” Orr said.

In addition to the licensing officers, Orr said another Island Health representative interviewed staff and patients and inspected the building.

“We do investigate every accusation that comes our way. We take all concerns seriously,” he said. “That said, there are times in every long-term care home where someone will have been cleaned up. Then something happens, and a family member walks in and it appears soiled and staff have to get on that. It’s a reality of longterm care that we’re dealing with very frail people.”

A 24-hour shift is not normal, but nurses do sometimes work overtime, he said.

Lynda Foley, vice-president of quality assurance for Park Place Seniors Living, which owns New Horizons, said she’s disturbed by the allegations, which she said are untrue and have affected staff morale.

“The quality consultant who works with me is on site and has been going through everything,” Foley said. “Everything is pristine.”

Seniors advocate Isobel Mackenzie said she couldn’t speak specifically about New Horizons, but said staffing levels are a problem at almost every care facility.

More than 90 per cent of the province’s care homes failed to meet the Ministry of Health’s recommended minimum of 3.36 direct-care hours per day, per resident, according to data the senior’s advocate collected from each health authority. New Horizons staffs for 3.15 direct-care hours, according to the data.

Mackenzie’s calls to increase funding for staffing levels were unheeded by the B.C. government when it rolled out its new budget on Tuesday.

“There are a couple of things that are systemic issues, so I won’t speak to New Horizons specifically. But there’s the issue of [low] funded hours — and we also have to make sure the funded hours are the actual hours that are delivered,” Mackenzie said.

In some cases, a facility might use some of the funding allocated for their public beds toward their private ones, which means a thinning of direct-care hours, she said.