Following the release of the most recent report from the province's auditor general, Wildrose party officials are claiming that the report is more of the same, indicating a broken long-term care system, and more “sweetheart deals for insiders.”
Kerry Towle, the Wildrose party's human services and seniors critic, says the report revealed more waste and mismanagement within Alberta Health Services (AHS).
“We have a crisis in our acute care system. Patients are desperately waiting to get access to long-term care beds, while our entire system is failing to properly monitor the quality of care being delivered,” said Towle.
“It's too bad that instead of moving quickly to address the problems facing our health-care system, the premier and his health minister are too busy conducting reviews and worrying about getting elected.”
In his report on the $910-million long-term care system, auditor general Merwan Saher described a system where the PC government is creating significant overlap and confusion in monitoring and inspecting the quality of care delivered in long-term care facilities, and outlines a pattern of secrecy within AHS that fails to publicly report on the performance of the provincial long-term care system, she added.
Paul Parks, a spokesman for the province's emergency room doctors, said there has been a 100 per cent increase in the number of days when an emergency room bed is taken by a senior waiting for space in a long-term care facility.
In 2005, there were 113,000 of these days; in 2013 there were a shocking 267,000 days.
Outgoing Alberta NDP leader Brian Mason asserted that the PC government is “consistently incapable” of providing for the needs of Albertans, and that the AG should do some more on-the-ground research.
“When the government fails to take action on long-term care, and fails to properly monitor this province's biggest revenue source, they are failing Albertans,” said Mason.
He was also extremely disappointed that the AG did no actual site visits to AHS facilities as he prepared his report on facility conditions and understaffing.
In 2005, then auditor general Fred Dunn conducted a first-hand study of the situation in long-term care facilities. Given the disturbing practices he uncovered, it is well past time an equally in-depth review is conducted now, he said.
Reviews at the system level are insufficient to protect vulnerable citizens, he added.
“(Saher) needs to get out of his office and into some of these nursing homes to see conditions for himself. Many seniors are still suffering due to understaffing and neglect.”
The College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA) also released a statement, stating that CARNA appreciates the progress noted in the report, in the areas of process and administration in long-term care, but added it is seriously concerned about the lack of monitoring at the resident level.
“The (AG's) report is a call to action with respect to long-term care in Alberta,” said Shannon Spenceley, president of CARNA.
“There has been good progress in terms of ensuring that long-term care residents have care plans, but care plans need to be implemented and monitored.”
Registered nurses are responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating care plans. But there has been a steady reduction in registered nurse staffing levels in long-term care, she added.
“It is difficult to fully implement care plans without sufficient nursing leadership to lead the care team, ensure accuracy in the assessment of complex care needs, supervise and support health care aides in care provision, and ensure that good basic care is being provided every day of the week.”
The auditor general's report acknowledges that the care needs of a typical long-term care resident have increased significantly over the last several decades as people with fewer care needs access home care and supportive living services, leaving the more challenging cases to the long-term care facilities.
The report also highlights the importance of avoiding hospitalizations by meeting the complex care needs of seniors within long-term care facilities rather than in the acute care system, which is not designed to meet their unique needs.
Specifically, the report recommends developing a system to monitor care at the resident level.
Another of the recommendations made in the report is to clarify oversight in long-term care.
“We fully support the Auditor-General's recommendation to complete the review of the continuing care health service standards,” said Spenceley.
“It is very important to monitor compliance to provincial standards but there also needs to be proactive monitoring of the actual care being provided.”
Health Minister Stephen Mandel, in response to the report, stated that AHS has accepted all of the recommendations regarding long-term care for seniors.
“As outlined in my mandate letter from the premier, improving long-term care is a top priority and we will continue our efforts to make improvements in this area,” said Mandel.
“My ministry will implement changes that address the Auditor's recommendations, including reviewing appropriate ways to publicly report on long-term care and releasing updated continuing care health service standards.”
