Reason should be guide in seniors health decisions (by Ramma Sahwney)

Reason should be guide in seniors health decisions
Written by Ramma Sahwney
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
The devastating, sometimes fatal consequence of sending our ill, frail parents to Designated Assisted Living is becoming a frequent reality. Health Minister Ron Liepert has conveniently not noticed it.
At the centre of the storm is the criterion being used to assess patients for nursing home admission. It states, “only patients who require a 24/7 registered nurse (RN) can be admitted to a nursing home.” This narrow measure excludes a vast majority of incapacitated, weak, ill patients who require an RN frequently, full care by vigilant aides and a dietitian. In DAL, there is no RN, no dietitian and no “full care.”
We do not know why the old assessment procedure was altered or who created and legitimized the new one. But Mr. Liepert embraced it happily, though thoughtlessly, because he could legitimately send thousands of helpless seniors to DAL, close nursing homes and still be “politically correct.”
I have met Greg Weadick five times, along with Chinook Regional Hospital officials, and sent a letter to the health superboard explaining the facts and rationale behind my opposition to the new criteria, closure of nursing homes and transfer of patients to DAL.
All of them unanimously claimed patients moved from nursing homes to DAL are “thriving.”
These claims are unscientific and invalid. To establish a causative relationship between DAL and the said “thriving,” a longitudinal (six to eight years), scientific, non-government study, using appropriate and sane criteria, a large sample size, proper unbiased questionnaires for patients, their families, physicians and staff, and last but not least, application of suitable statistical analysis, needs to be initiated.
I strongly suggest:
1. Until we establish how nursing home patients fare when moved to DAL, Mr. Liepert should declare a moratorium on closure of nursing homes and transfer of patients to DAL.
2. The new criteria should be duly thrown out; bring back their older measure for assessment that represents reality of senior health needs.
3. Mr. Liepert and his health superboard members should visit nursing homes and listen to the patients as well as their families. They may learn some truths.
4. The assessment team must include the physician and family of the patient.
Great harm is incurred when those in power commit to self-indulgent, destructive ideologies and abandon humanity and reason as their sole guides.
“Reason is God’s crowning gift to man.” (Sophocles)
Mr. Liepert should make use of it more often.
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