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Mauro and Gravelle react to nursing home concerns

Bill Mauro says families should take issues to management
Bethammi winter
Bethammi Nursing Home is operated by St. Joseph's Care Group

THUNDER BAY -- Thunder Bay MPP Bill Mauro says families with concerns about the care their loved ones are getting in nursing homes should approach management directly.

Mauro was responding on Monday to questions raised by a recent inspection of Bethammi Nursing Home.

The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care inspectors uncovered deficiencies in residents' care related to numerous issues including bathing, incontinence care, missed snack breaks, inadequate attention to skin wounds, and slow responses to call buttons.

The ministry issued a series of orders to Bethammi's operator, St. Joseph's Care Group.

In an interview with Tbnewswatch, Mauro said his constituency office has also heard "on a number of occasions" from families concerned with the level of care at various facilities. 

There's broad consensus that many of the shortcomings in care relate directly to a lack of staffing, specifically to a shortfall in Personal Support Workers across Ontario.

Mauro said the government is supporting the PSW profession as well as it can.

He pointed to the 2014 budget which included provision for a pay hike of $4 an hour, in stages, for PSWs in the home care sector to attract more workers. 

"That budget was not supported, which led to an election," Mauro said.  

He noted that a new class of PSW students will be graduating soon, and that SJCG will try to hire as many of them as it can.

Asked what he would say to families of some Bethammi residents who, according to the inspection report, only received one documented bath in the entire month of January, Mauro said "I can't comment on an individual situation. If somebody is alleging...I don't know what's happening or what's not with any certainty.  I have never had anybody come into my office and tell me that's the case specifically."

Mauro, who met with SJCG representatives on Friday, reiterated that families need to bring these kinds of issues straight to management. 

SJCG officials, he said, have told him they are willing to sit down with family members and "let them know whatever plans they have going forward to try and enhance that care."

Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle was unavailable for an interview Monday.

Gravelle's office at Queen's Park instead issued a statement saying the government is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of the residents of Bethammi through "a rigorous inspection system and regulatory framework."

The statement noted that the proposed 2018 budget would invest $300 million over three years to increase staffing in Ontario long-term care homes, including one additional Registered Nurse for each facility.

 



Gary Rinne

About the Author: Gary Rinne

Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Gary started part-time at Tbnewswatch in 2016 after retiring from the CBC
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