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Public Information Health Care Providers News Media Text Only Version |
Seniors' Care :
Maintaining Standards of Care in Long-Term Care Homes All long-term care homes in Ontario operate according to general principles and specific guidelines and requirements outlined in the following :
Long-term care homes provide a home-like setting where a resident's physical and care needs are met, and where his or her psychological, social, cultural and spiritual needs are met as well. The government's guiding principle with respect to long-term care in the province states that all homes must meet the needs of its residents. A home that fails to uphold standards or comply with regulations or policies is referred to as being "non-compliant”. Non-compliance may or may not put residents at risk, and usually indicates that a home is not meeting its residents' needs in some way. The ministry may learn of a home's non-compliance because a resident, family member or member of the public has made a complaint. Non-compliance may also be identified by staff at a home, or through the ministry's regular reviews and inspections. Once the ministry has received a complaint or been alerted to a problem, a process is set in motion. This process gives the home an opportunity to address the problem, depending on its nature, within a certain period of time. It also allows the government to take steps to enforce the standards and policies, should the home not act soon enough or take adequate measures. Find out more about :
Residents' rights
Residents of long-term care homes deserve to be cared for in a respectful and compassionate way. They can and should expect their lives to be free from abuse and neglect. Each of the three acts that govern long-term care homes provides for the rights of residents. The Nursing Homes Act, for example, includes a "Residents' Bill of Rights”, which sets out the following :
When a home fails to meet its residents' needs, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the resident, a family member, friend or a member of the public can report the problem to the ministry, whose staff will address the matter with the home. The ministry's regular inspections and reviews
Annual review
The government conducts regular annual reviews of all long-term care homes in Ontario. As of January 2004, the government has improved its annual review process by making these inspections unannounced. Each regional ministry office has on staff one or more inspectors known as "compliance advisors.” The compliance advisor, who is a registered nurse, carries out the annual reviews for homes in her or his region. Compliance advisors look to ensure that each home is operating according to its service agreement (i.e. contract), the relevant legislation and regulations, and the standards outlined in the program manual for long-term care homes. The annual review covers all aspects of a homes operations, including :
This yearly inspection also includes on-site visits, during which the compliance advisor will interview residents and family members, caregivers and administrative staff in each home. This part of the review examines the following :
As part of the annual review, the compliance advisor also reviews a sampling of residents' clinical records, and data related to complaints and what are called "unusual occurrences.” (These occurrences include, suspicious deaths, allegations of abuse, and falls or other injuries that require hospitalization.) When a compliance advisor completes a home's annual review, she or he prepares a written report — which is a public document — and sends copies to the home. All long-term care homes must post the results of their most recent annual review in a public place on the premises. Residents, those considering becoming residents, and their families can obtain a copy of the report directly from a home. If an annual review identifies standards that are not being met — or other problems — the compliance advisor will conduct a follow-up inspection(s) to ensure that the matter is resolved. A compliance advisor may wish to bring along a team during an annual review, which may include a dietary advisor and/or an environmental health advisor. Ongoing inspections
The annual review is not the only inspection a long-term care home undergoes within the course of a year. Compliance advisors conduct site visits anytime someone makes a complaint against a home, or when a problem comes to their attention through some other means. Depending on the nature of the complaint or problem, a compliance advisor may investigate the matter alone, or may consult with one or both of the following colleagues :
The compliance advisor may request that either or both the dietary advisor and the environmental health advisor participate in a home's annual review. How the government enforces its standards
When a home fails to address identified problems or other issues of non-compliance, the government can impose sanctions on that home. In order to bring a home up to standard or back into compliance with the regulations and policies, the government can :
Homes against which enforcement measures are taken undergo increased monitoring to ensure that the needs of existing residents are being met. What happens when you make a complaint
Once the ministry receives a complaint about a long-term care home, a process is set in motion. The appropriate regional office of the ministry will begin an investigation within 20 working days of receiving a complaint. Complaints that indicate that residents are at risk are investigated immediately by the ministry. The investigation of a complaint may involve an interview with the person who made the complaint and a visit to the home. If the inspector finds evidence of the problem identified, the ministry documents the matter and gives the home 14 days to develop a plan of action to fix the problem. Often, a home will correct the problem or bring itself up to standard within that time. In situations where a long-term care home does not address a problem adequately or quickly enough, or if continued non-compliance threatens to put residents at risk, the government can resort to other measures to enforce the standards or guidelines. (See the above for "How the government enforces its standards”.) Once a complaint has been investigated fully, the ministry will notify the person or persons who made the complaint that the matter has been investigated. Concerns about privacy may limit the information that the ministry can share with the original complainant. How to make a complaint
Any member of the public — a resident's family member, someone employed by a home, or a member of the public — can register a complaint about a long-term care home. All complaints are investigated. The government and its staff treat complaints as strictly confidential. It is helpful during ministry investigations when those who are lodging a complaint identify themselves, because the investigators usually interview the person making the complaint to verify the facts. Ministry staff (including INFOline agents, compliance advisors and administrative staff) take great care to protect the identity of the complainant and the resident(s) involved. (Policies also exist to protect employees of long-term care homes who lodge complaints against their employers.) You have several options for making a complaint :
You will receive an acknowledgement of your written complaint. |
Call the ministry INFOline at 1-866-532-3161 (Toll-free in Ontario only) TTY 1-800-387-5559 Hours of operation : 8:30am - 5:00pm |
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