One way to find out the state of a nursing home is to read an inspection report. These reports chronicle everything from unsafe food to improper storage of medication to a lack of recreational activities.
The inspections can be routine in that they are scheduled. They can be unannounced or a response to a complaint. Inspections that fall into the two latter categories tend to be more severe in that they respond to serious or unexpected events such as violence, falls or over-medication causing death. Those unexpected and serious events such as violence have been the focus of the CBC News investigation, Beaten Down: Fear and Violence in Canada’s Nursing Homes.
The reports that CBC News is presenting on this website fall into the routine category. They discover problems and suggest ways to fix them.
Unfortunately, these reports are difficult to find. Canadians must either visit the home in question to read the report, go to the library where the reports may also be stored, or make a formal request through a provincial freedom-of-information act. In short, there are few one-stop shops for reports. And that’s why CBC News is posting the reports as we continue to obtain them.
The findings and recommendations in the reports may prompt questions you never thought to ask about safety, care, activities, and so on. This is one of the reasons they are a valuable resource. By no means is this an exhaustive list. Rather, it is a random sample culled from various jurisdictions in charge of Canadian nursing and retirement homes.
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AUDIO
- The problem of aggression in nursing homes. (Runs 6:19)
- David McKie reports on the increase in nursing home violence in Ontario (Runs 2:10)
- Sandra Bartlett reports that violence statistics are rising across the country (Runs 2:19)
- Despite beefed up inspections, violence continues to grow at nursing home, with many incidents 'off the books.' Runs 2:15
- The risk of injury to patients often increases inside nursing home facilities. (Runs 2:22)
- Sandra Bartlett reports that the people who have the most contact with needy patients have little training. (Runs 4:47)
- Families face a daunting task when deciding on a nursing home for aging parents. (Runs 5:24)