Long Term Care (LTC): Can This Sector Of HealthCare Be Redeemed?

Why Is LTC Homes In The Media Again & Again Following Decades Of Disapproval?

Problem Identification: Overcrowding, Sub-standard care, Limited staffing, Mass immobility, Neglect, Abuse, Limited Budget, Profiteering, Deaths!

LTC Homes are known by many for bizarre headlines Constant reporting of abuse & neglect appears to go by without meaningful intervention. Many of the same and increasingly prevalant horrors highlighted during COVID-19 Also staff walk out on physically and mentally challenged individuals residening in LTC Homes. Further in November, 2021, three thousand, eight humdred and thirty seven deaths (3,837), reported at LTC Homes in Ontario, Canada.

Most people agree that LTC Homes are NOT the Retirement/Nursing Home Care Facility that they thought it is! A flashy add. gets people thinking this is exactly what they need as they age and find themselves in end of life stages.. However, time and time again we have seen LTC Homes are riddled with problems that No amount of legislating will be able to repair!

Usually when LTC appears in the media...9 times out of 10, the person is handicap in a wheel chair, sitting or in bed.. what happens to people who loose mobility? Muscles deteriorate, bodily functions are affected.. skin integrity's complications causing skin breakdowns...pain, decreased quality of life, next comes infection... disease process that changes the individual's quality of life! LTC Homes residents are 99% immobile, interestingly of those same individuals an estimated 95% take up residence at the home fully or partially functional... meaning they have aged but are not completely debilated, but have chosen to live out their natural lives in a LTC Home, or their relative/family felt it would be better if they sent their parents or aged persons into a LTC Home, there can also be other transfers from hospital.hospics or other related transfers.

The Problems Identified are directly related to lack of proper infrastructure, that are able to suport structural holistic wellness. Programs in LTC Homes are either inadequate or rarely ever implemented... Medication abuse can occur and do occur as a means of managing resident care. However, resulting factors and complications occurs because residents can no longer complain about anything; while the very definition of consent changes... they are massively sedated most times, loosing all independence or autonomy in decision making.....unfortunately all too often residents are just shuffled along based on one scheduling system without any deviation, the facility is locked down, but residents also have no control over security of personal welfare.

Meaningful Program Based LTC Homes Can Promote Mobility and Prevent Incontinence, Skin Impairment and Many of the Hazards faced by Canadian Seniors!

LTC Homes infrastructure allow for small rooms, that fits a bed, chest of draws and a toilet -- therefore individuals leaving a home setting immediately get stuck into a routine where someone else tells them when they can do basic things like attend to personal hygiene.. then feeding and toileting happens at a precise time and residents are piled into living areas at the home all in wheelchairs or back to their beds... Night shift don't want any hastle, they simply want to have all residents sleep all night, then they can just sign out the next day and get paid... rounds are required, but not always followed..

LTC Homes ought to resemble the home setting with a shower and tub in each room, so that residents are able to adjust to their new living choices without an abundance of changes that leaves the elderly feeling an intense sense of loss and deprivation. Family members ought to be encouraged to visit and may be able to participate in caring for high need residents. Residents who are mobile should be encouraged to volunteer in the home where possible, there ought to be a library, a craft room (in some homes but rarely used), gym and so forth. Residents ought to be encouraged to have their own interest and choose if, or when they want to go for breakfast, or have it in their rooms (personal choices). Technology is a modern day requirement; residents oughts to have a personal cell phone...they can order out, phone a relative, download a movie and so forth....all aspects intended to improve quality of life...

Medications should "Never" be given without consent (hidden in food, etc.). Similarly, no personal or invasive treatment ought to be administed without written consent... Nursing has lost it's roots "CONSENT" is not a concern in many instances. Therefore, more and more, increasingly excessive reports of physical abuse are seen floating on social media platforms about Nurses being abused by residence or patients. Difficult to understand if "Consent" were given why were there anger and rage to follow..

Having looked at the disasterous state of LTC Homes at present; Can This Sector Of HealthCare Be Redeemed?

On the 75th. Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, Poland (Holocust), Mr. Marian Turski said, "All it takes for atrocious deeds to cause harm against humanity, is for good men to do nothing!" Anything, or situation can be resolved when good men listen and develop action plans that have been built through consultation with others...implementation only with good intentions, that does not strip away human dignity...or encourage profiteering.

What Works: Care that considers individual's basic needs, infrastructure that are functional to facilitate mobility, independence building autonomy, residents given options to ensure security of person and belongings -- this could translate into a resident locking their room at night or when necessary. Further, involves PSWs' and Nursing staff communicating with residents obtaining consent, Nursing staff ought to be in the home only to monitor and provide emergency interventions, or special treatments....every resident do not need to be medicated. Allow residents to develop their own daily routine in the home. Increasing availability of programs for those with mobility issues so that every resident has some mobility -- This is very possible, if we can heal stroke victims then we can certainly keep residents mobile; so they need minimum assistance with personal care. Meal time and nutritional requirements must be based on individual specification Sleep and rest prioritized to increase holistic wellness.

For what it cost to live in LTC Homes there should also be planned day trips, outings, overnight family visits and more.. Another possibility could be a hybrid care model (new norm during COVID-19) for individuals as part of an inclusive program to better healthcare! Hybrid can have many different aspects...where home care and LTC are incooperated with telehealth; hence increasing options.. ------PLEASE See Functional example of a LTC Design Below------This Design involves independent work by: JoY-PSE (EAD) and is protected by ©

LTC Homes Residents' Bill of Rights: Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007, S.O. 2007, c. 8

Ontario, Canada, Minister of LTC, Rod Philips is attempting to legislate LTC Homes into compliance... this is an impossible task... these care homes are themselves trying to fix the system; only this broken system has worked to encourage human waste, increasing comobidity and death. Insurance companies have a lot of blame here as well, because they encourage capital gains from deaths termed liabilities... also life insurance benefit exists and if many stand to benefit financially... exactly who will fix the system...? No one ever thinks their own situation could change and this scenario could be them...Everyone figures money will solve all their immediate and future problems...

A wonderful little intervention is Capiral Gains Tax ---

More specifically S.J. Garrett(2013) says: Capital Gains Tax is a tax levied on the difference between the sale or redemption price of a stock (or other asset) and the purchase price, if lower. In contrast to income tax, this tax is normally payable once only in respect of each disposal, at the date of sale or redemption. Certain assets, including some fixed-interest securities, may be exempt from capital gains tax; in addition, exemption from this tax may be granted after an asset has been held for a certain period. Therefore, in this particular instance where LTC Homes have liability insurance on Residents' care and service to be collected when there's a death in the home...such gains ought to be accessed based on the monetary value of the deceased at the time of death (end of life payout).

In Conclusion: If you're reading this article... please know it was not written to criticize anyone but to lend a humane perspective that ought to be considered for progress... I have first hand experiences with Nursing Home, or LTC Home Care, having worked in those facilities...my first glimpse of this attrocious situation was in the 80's ... having lived in South America at a time when LTC Homes were non-existant... imagine my surprise and utter shock when I first saw how residents, or the elderly are treated --- it scared me ... instinctively knowing, I could never repeat any of my observations if I ever want to have a job... Besides who would believe me....Therefore, hoping... hoping that others see what the quality of care are in those facilities... and hope even more for meaningful interventions that would help the vulnerable -- because accept it or not once someone else is responsible for your care...you are immediately vulnerable...

Each and everyday whilst working as a Nurse in Ontario, Canada...working predominantly in Community care, because my tolerance did not extent to hospitals or LTC Homes... my practise was always to treat others as I would want to be treated if ever needed... Always hoping the system would correct itself, but with intense media coverage, now I'm not telling you anything you do not alreay know----stay safe and healthy...