VICTORIA - British Columbia’s seniors advocate released a startling new report highlighting three issues, which she stresses are of immediate concern.
Isobel Mackenzie says the findings suggest many seniors have been incorrectly placed in residential care, which is taking up valuable spots “If we are filling even 5 per cent of these scarce beds with folks who could live independently, that is 1500 beds that could open up province-wide.”
The second concern is overuse of medication. Findings in the report suggests 34 percent of seniors living in residential care are being prescribed antipsychotic medication, while only four percent of these seniors have been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. And nearly half of seniors in this category are being prescribed antidepressants, while only a quarter of them have been diagnosed with depression.
Lastly, the third issue highlighted is a lack of rehabilitative therapies in the province’s residential care facilities.
“Getting seniors moving properly and keeping them moving is absolutely key to maintaining function and independence. The downward spiral can begin very quickly if a frail senior is immobilized in bed for a week or more and having trained staff to work with them in recovery and building back strength is fundamental,” Mackenzie said in a statement.
The report’s findings are based on health records of 25,000 British Columbian seniors living in residential care and nearly 30,000 seniors living in home care.
