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| (People First of Canada Website) |
Last Sunday, June 8th, a number of groups came together to protest institutional living and call for the closure of institutions. This idea provoked a lot of differing opinions about the subject. The act of calling for the Closure of Institutions made people wonder what that would look like. People working in the industry worried about their jobs, people in the community wondered about where all these people would go, some other people wondered how could severely disabled people live in the community. The Advocating Parents of Nova Scotia people must be off their rockers! Nutjobs! Not really.....
The Department of Community Services, under the Dexter Government, created an advisory committee called:
The Nova Scotia Joint Community-Government Advisory Committee on Transforming the Services to Persons with Disabilities Program.
Here is what they say about institutions:
Reliance on institutional care – With some 1,100 people living in large congregate care facilities, Nova Scotia is more likely than other provinces to support people with disabilities in large congregate facilities. Significant public funds continue to be spent on an institutional model – a model that universally has been proven to produce less than quality outcomes for persons with disabilities (in comparison to supported community living) and a model that has been unequivocally rejected by persons with disabilities.
Read the entire document
That committee produced a plan for inclusive community living. DCS Min. Joanne Bernard has made a commitment to see this plan through. APNS has learned through the process of this last protest that very few major stakeholders ( People working in the industry, Unions etc) know that this plan exists.
This was evident when we met with NSGEU and by the press release put out by the Nova Scotia Nurses Union and CUPE. The plan that DCS has is to Shut the Doors!
Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union and Canadian Union of Public Employees
Joint Opinion/Editorial
June 4, 2014
Shutting the doors not the answer
There has been a great deal of dialogue surrounding the tragic events at
Quest - Adult Support and Rehabilitation Centre in Lower Sackville where one
resident caused the recent death of another.
The events that transpired are not trivial nor should they be ignored.
Whenever there is harm or loss of life, staff, administrators and families are
devastated. They are driven to look for every possible measure that could have
prevented such an occurrence. Sometimes there are solutions and at times there
is no amount of caution or anticipation that would have made a difference.
While those in authority continue to look for answers and ways to ensure
that residents remain in a safe and supportive environment, we cannot forget
about the good that is being done at this and other centres like it.
The reality is that there are very few options available to house and
care for those in need of the very specialized services provided in these
settings. Those living in these types of facilities have numerous conditions
including, but not exclusive to, psychological, social and/or
behavioural challenges.
Quest is staffed by caring and knowledgeable professionals working within
interdisciplinary teams. Like all health care facilities, there are standards
of practice and policies that guide and support each resident’s individualized care
plan. However, not unlike any other environment,
unpredictable events can occur resulting in devastating outcomes. Does this
mean that a facility with an overall history of quality care and expertise
should shut its doors?
As unions representing those who work very hard to provide medical
services and protection for those in their care, we urge temperance and
understanding at this difficult time. To consider closing a facility that
offers specialized care to some of our most vulnerable citizens might be a knee
jerk reaction. The investigation that’s currently underway will hopefully
result in recommendations to prevent another tragedy.
We fully support the families of those who are concerned about the
recent events and we are hopeful that steps can be taken to avoid harm to or
the death of another resident. We also support the invaluable services that
Quest provides and the employees who are dedicated to their residents.
Shutting the doors should not be the answer when the services currently
being provided may simply require improvement. Working together to keep these
services in our communities and applying insights gained from difficult circumstances
should be the goal.
Janet Hazelton, BScN, RN, MPA
President, Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union
Danny Cavanagh
President CUPE Nova Scotia
Advocating Parents of Nova Scotia wants to see this outstanding plan come to fruition. We are open to working with any group including the Nova Scotia Government to help see this through in a very timely manner.
