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Government to Address Ombudsman's Recommendations to Improve Long-Term Care

Released on May 13, 2015

Health Minister Dustin Duncan today reinforced government’s commitment to providing safe, high quality care for seniors, accepting the Saskatchewan’s Ombudsman’s report Taking Care: An Ombudsman investigation into the care provided to Margaret Warholm while a resident of the Santa Maria Senior Citizens Home.

“I thank Saskatchewan Ombudsman Mary McFadyen for her thorough review,” Duncan said.  “Her insight and recommendations will be valuable in our ongoing work to improve long-term care in our province.  Our government is committed to making improvements that place the needs of our long-term care residents first, and we will begin work immediately to address the recommendations.”

On November 19, 2014, Duncan requested the Ombudsman conduct an investigation into care at the Santa Maria Senior Citizens Home.  The Ombudsman’s report, released on May 13, 2015, makes 19 recommendations.

Four recommendations are focused more broadly on improvements to the long-term care system in Saskatchewan.  The Ministry of Health will work with health system partners to:
  • Ensure all health regions develop and implement policies and procedures to operationalize the standards of care in the Program Guidelines for Special-Care Homes, and identify specific, measurable indicators or outcomes that will be tracked and reported.
  • Implement a process to publicly report on how long-term care facilities are meeting the standards in the Program Guidelines.
  • Set out detailed steps for handling of concerns and the appeal process within the Program Guidelines.
  • Develop and implement a long-term care strategy to meet the needs of long-term care residents and to address the factors affecting the quality of long-term care in Saskatchewan.
The government has also taken steps to address concerns at Santa Maria, including establishing a quality oversight committee that is focused on ensuring residents at Santa Maria are provided with safe, high quality care.  The Quality Oversight Committee will continue to play a role at Santa Maria moving forward.

The work to address the Ombudsman’s recommendations will build on initiatives already underway to improve long-term care across the province.  This includes:
  • An additional $10 million investment in 2015-16 to support seniors living in their own homes as well as improving the quality of long-term care.
  • The introduction of the Urgent Issues Actions Fund in 2013, providing $10.04 million for health regions to address priority issues in long-term care and another $3.8 million for ongoing pressures.
  • Materials to help residents and staff understand the expectations in the Program Guidelines for Special-Care Homes.  This includes resident rights posters already posted in long-term care facilities, and a training DVD targeted for distribution in fall 2015 to staff and management involved in the provision of long-term care.
  • Resident and family councils have been established in all long-term care facilities.
  • The Ministry of Health and health regions are monitoring seven quality indicators in long-term care to better identify and address potential resident care issues.
  • A 13 per cent increase in the number of long-term care FTEs across the province since 2007.
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For more information, contact:

Tyler McMurchy
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083
Email: tmcmurchy@health.gov.sk.ca

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