The Redford government has missed the mark with its new Alberta Health Act, and in particular its provisions to create a seniors advocate office that answers to the minister of health, according to Innisfail-Sylvan Lake Wildrose MLA Kerry Towle.
In a Gazette interview, Towle said making the new advocate position responsible to a government minister, and not to the legislature, is a mistake.
“This really just creates another employee of the minister of health,” said Towle, who is her party's seniors critic. “The opportunity for the government to protect seniors in care is here and creating more employees of the government is not going to afford seniors the protection they deserve.
“They (government) are failing to institute a seniors advocate office that can do its job free from political interference. We were hoping the government would have sent a strong message to our seniors. Seniors have made it clear they want an independent voice at the table.”
Announced last week, the Alberta Health Act will create health advocate, seniors advocate and mental health patient advocate positions.
The act will come into force on Jan. 1, 2014. Consultations on the advocate regulations will occur that month, with all advocate offices expected to be fully operational by Apr. 1.
The government says the new seniors advocate's role will include “referring concerns and complaints to appropriate channels”, “requesting inspections, investigations, and quality and safety assessments related to care provided in seniors' facilities as laid out in Alberta law” and “providing public education on the rights, interests and needs of seniors.”
“The number and type of programs and services available in Alberta have been growing with our population and an increased number of people are accessing the provincial health-care system,” Health Minister Fred Horne said in announcing the new advocate positions.
“It is clear by the number of inquiries we receive each day that an advocate role would provide increased assistance to Albertans and their families in understanding how the health-care system works and how to navigate it.”
Towle has put forward a private member's bill, Bill 208, which would create an independent seniors advocate that would report to the legislature, not to government ministers.
The new non-independent seniors advocate will make it difficult for health-care professionals to voice concerns without fear of political repercussions, she said.
“Right now our front-line staff do a fantastic job,” said Towle. “Our doctors, nurses, LPNs, our health care aides do a great job trying to advocate for their clients, trying to identify areas where there might be elder abuse, financial abuse. They already go to the ministry asking for help and they don't get it.
“There's no independent person for them to go to that is able to walk them through the system and find systemic issues to do with seniors' care.
“We know from the past that between Alberta Health Services and the Ministry of Health the bullying and intimidation of our front-line staff has been a huge problem and will continue to be a problem because our people have no one to go to that is safe, that is independent and objective.”
Alberta's seniors advocate should be independent like the child and youth advocate's office already in place, she said.
“The child and youth advocate is very effective and is able to identify systemic issues and identify areas of care where vulnerable children are at risk and I think the exact same procedure should be afforded to our seniors,” she said. “That's in the best interest of all Albertans.”
The health advocate and the mental health patient advocate should also be independent, she said.
“I think they are hoping Albertans will be fooled by words and not actions,” she said.
