It would appear that the BC Government condones the drugging of seniors in Long Term Care homes. This is reflected in their refusal to have appropriate deterrent penalties in place, and reluctance to hold accountable those facilities and health care workers that abuse residents with chemical restraints.
The government has also refused to amend the Mental Health Act loophole that allows the health care “industry” to so very easily trump the Representation agreements and Advance Health Care Directives. These two legal documents in particular, being heavily pushed By the Government as essential, are not worth the paper they are written on as long as the mental health act remains un-amended. These documents only give long term care residents and their family’s false hope that their rights will be respected. Persons with mental retardation are exempt from this act and so should people with dementia be exempt.
This government doesn’t seem to care that BC has the highest rate of anti-psychotic drugging (chemical restraint) of seniors in the country. The US and UK are taking steps to address this problem in their countries even going as far as suggesting jail time (UK) for doctors who continually prescribe these unapproved drugs for people with dementia. Perhaps this should apply to other health care workers as well. Anti-psychotic drugs have no place in the treatment of dementia related behaviours. They are not approved as treatments, as a matter of fact, have warnings to the contrary. Any use of them is strictly for ease of staff and not for the good of the resident.
The Anti-Psychotic Review done by the BC Health Ministry has just reiterated old rules, regulations and laws already in place, and the need for health care workers to obtain “consent to treat”. In my opinion the ‘Review’ has just encouraged the care home “industry” to make sure that people sign away their rights at the door, before they will be admitted into the facility.
If the Government is condoning the abusive drugging of our seniors with Chemical Restraints then in my opinion the government itself is responsible for the deaths associated with this despicable practice and are the ones that need to be held to account. This practise is akin to the abusive fiascos at Residential Schools and Woodlands, and this, in future years, will also be their shame. How much suffering and how many deaths will they be responsible for before this abusive drugging of seniors is stopped.
