Association says mentally ill interfering with seniors care

By Sandra Thomas, Vancouver Courier

The Care (Providers) Association of B.C. is concerned with the increasing trend by the provincial government to house clients with addictions combined with mental illness in seniors facilities across the province.

David Hurford, director of public relations for the association, which represents more than 10,000 health-care workers, contacted the Courier in response to a November cover story regarding Steeves Manor, a seniors independent-living facility next to Jericho Park. The facility is becoming home to the hard to house, including drug and alcohol addicts. As a result, according to some Steeves residents, the housing complex is seeing an increase in crime, including theft and assaults. Many Steeves residents are regularly visited by health-care workers. "Seniors care workers are facing more people with mental health issues, many who are younger and able-bodied, who they have to get past in order to see their clients," said Hurford.

That concern helped prompt a resolution approved by the association at its 2010 annual general meeting, which includes recommendations to review staff training and increase dispute resolution options. He added increased staff training on how to de-escalate potentially violent situations is vital for the safety of health-care workers.

Hurford noted an extreme case in the March 2009 shooting at a Gibsons care home by a woman who suffers from the effects of a brain injury sustained in a car accident.

Linda Lorraine Howe, 41, was being evicted from the Good Samaritan Christenson Village seniors care facility when she shot at three people, including the facility's manager who was hit but survived.

"That got our attention," said Hurford. "And we want to make sure this never happens again. When you look at the media photos, it's obvious this woman is not a senior. And she was also able to stockpile weapons in her room. We want to know how she got there in the first place and took a seniors care bed instead of one for the mentally ill."

Hurford added evicting inappropriate residents can be dangerous. Several residents of Steeves Manor were evicted recently for unacceptable behaviour. On Nov. 17 a man moving into the complex allegedly brandished a knife prompting a weapons call to the Vancouver Police Department. No charges were laid.

Stephen Symon, manager of Industry and Labour Services for WorkSafeBC, said violence-related claims since 2004 from health-care workers have increased from 700 annually to 1,100. WorkSafeBC is the provincial body governing occupational safety. Symon said of all claims WorkSafeBC handles annually, 11 per cent are violence related. He added of that 11 per cent, health care and social assistance workers make up 54 per cent of the claims. The remaining 46 per cent includes police officers, municipal workers, retail and restaurant staff. "But that does include everything from a parent upset in an emergency room to patients with dementia," he said.

Symon added while a health-care worker might see the violence as a symptom of a disease, WorkSafeBC sees it simply as a worker who's been hit. Symon agrees increased training is key to keeping health-care workers safe in violent situations.