Long Term Care

Long Term Care Homes Act And The Important Benefits It Serves

The Long term care homes act is divided into twelve separate parts with two hundred and thirty three sections dotted with a battery of subsections.

"The fundamentals that need to be understood from the long-term home cares act is that long-term care facilities basically become a home for the residents. This means that the facility should operate as a place that offers security, dignity, and respect to each of its residents as all of their medical, social, mental, or any other needs are met. Part I, Chapter I

The resident is given a bill of rights comprised of twenty-seven rights. The first nine are listed here. They all form part of the Long term care homes act. (For the rest of the list go to www.ontla.on.ca)

1. Every resident has the right to be treated as an individual with dignity, with respect and courtesy.

2. Every resident has the right to be protected from mental, verbal, or physical abuse.

3. Every resident has the right protected from neglect by the facilities staff.

4. Every resident has the right to be properly cared for according to his or her individual needs in all of everyday living.

5. Every resident has the right to live in a safe and clean environment.

6. Every resident has the right to exercise the rights of a citizen.

7. Every resident has the right to be informed on who is caring for him or her and how that care is being administered.

8. Every resident has the right to be given the respect of privacy during any treatment or when his or her personal needs are being cared for.

9. Every resident has the right to have his or her participation in decision-making respected.

Without these rights or the long term care homes act, the elderly would still be treated as a social and private problem which needed to be dealt with, instead of being regarded as our fathers and mothers who deserve to be treated with dignity. Our elderly deserve to have the best care and the best people in their fields attending to them. Forgotten are the veterinary school dropouts and ex-criminals of yesterday. Thanks to the Long term care homes act it is law that one fourth of our populous is taken care of with dignity and proper care.

In 2000 alone, the United States reported 472,813 cases of elderly mistreatment and/or abuse. Those cases were reported, but two or sometimes three times, that many go unanswered every year. Profit grabbing, multinational long term care homes make for 70% of abuse cases while small companies that truly want to provide a loving service are ostracized. This is why the Long term care homes act is extremely important.

Abuse does come in many forms. Approximately 1.9 million cases of misdiagnosed drug cocktails were reported, 70% or which were preventable. The prescriptions of anti-psychotics such as lithium are given to elderly patients labeled with archaic terms such as dementia, causing ill effects at best, and fatality, at the very worst. It is important to check with your state to see how they represent you and what they are doing to insure you are treated with all the care you deserve. Remember for every case of abuse that is conveyed, five go unreported. Keep fighting for the rights of the elderly and supporting the Long term care homes act.

Long Term Care