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Senior Advocate Isobel Mackenzie's reports appreciated

However, her press release didn't include some obvious solutions

To the editor:

I have been keeping track of the Senior Advocate Isobel Mackenzie's reports, which are an excellent example of extensive research that outlines all aspects of the care that our seniors are receiving in this province.

Then I read her Jan. 27 news release, which gained much more attention than the actual report did. She has highlighted the rising problem of "resident on resident aggression" in care facilities, and says she would be looking for "systemic issues" that contribute to this problem.

I am disappointed by this statement because the solution to this problem is contained within the information in her report, which she failed to mention in her news release.

And that information is that licensing violations have increased by 21 per cent since 2014.

The largest majority of those violations, at 44 per cent, are in the category of "care and supervision" and 19.8 per cent in the category of "staffing."

In assisted living, the largest percentage of complaints are in the category of "resident abuse, neglect, and self abuse."

Eureka! I have discovered the obvious solutions to improving the quality of care for our seniors, that oddly enough, the entire health ministry has failed to notice or acknowledge.

The solution includes an increase in staff levels, mandatory evaluations for the "appropriate type" of employees, and more training for dealing with dementia-related issues.

All of these solutions can be found in a report that 90 per cent of British Columbia citizens will never read.

Do you think our tax dollars will now be saved because "looking for the systemic issues" should no longer be necessary?

Judy Galley

Sorrento