Aggression in B.C. seniors homes sparks call for staffing level review
More than 400 incidents of aggression between residents probed by B.C. seniors advocate
British Columbia's advocate for seniors has recommended that staffing levels in elderly care homes be reviewed after examining hundreds of incidents of residents harming each other.
Isobel Mackenzie probed 422 incidents of aggression between residents in provincial care homes last year and found they mostly occurred in facilities housing many seniors with complex needs.
Her report determined that staff in homes with higher incidents spent slightly fewer hours providing direct care but also included more residents with psychiatric diagnoses and antipsychotic drug use.
Mackenzie found minimum guidelines around the number of hours staff should spend with residents were not met at all homes.
The Hospital Employees' Union says it supports the advocate's call for a review and is pushing the government to ensure all facilities are funded to at least basic staffing levels.
The advocate's report also recommended more comprehensive training for staff around dealing with aggressive behaviours, including establishing standardized follow-up protocol.