A recent study conducted by the Bruyere Research Institute in Ottawa shows that residents of Ontario’s for-profit nursing homes suffer from significantly higher mortality and hospitalization rates than residents of non-profit facilities. The study followed more than 53,000 residents between January 2010 and March 2012, and found that for-profit residents were 33 per cent more likely to be hospitalized and 16 per cent more likely to die during the first six months of their stay. If a member of your family has experienced an insufficient standard of care at either a for- or non-profit long-term care facility, a personal injury lawyer can help you assess your options.
Researchers created an online calculator (projectbiglife.ca/elderly) that “predicts the risk of death for people living in nursing homes” within six months of their arrival. In addition to looking at whether the home is for- or non-profit, the calculator considers age, health, sex, marital status, and a number of other factors.
“These are not trivial numbers,” said researcher Dr. Peter Tanuseputro to CTV News. “If there’s a way that we can get to the bottom of this and correct it, we could potentially be preventing many, many hospitalizations and potentially many deaths.”
The study should be concerning to Ontarians for two key reasons: first, 60 per cent of Ontario’s 640 long-term care facilities are for-profit; and second, the population of Ontario is aging rapidly. When the province’s universal health care system was created over half a century ago, the average Ontarian was just 27 years old and less likely to be living with disease or complex health issues. Today, older Ontarians account for approximately 60 per cent of total hospital visits, and are living with “multiple health and functional issues, and with minimal social supports,” according to Statistics Canada.
In the coming decades, Ontario – and Canada as a whole – will become progressively older. Nearly one in four people nationwide will be 65 or older by 2030, compared to just 15 per cent in 2013. An older population means more hospital visits, and as it stands today the healthcare system is ill-prepared to care for the looming swell of patients. The expertise of seniors’ advocacy groups or a personal injury lawyer may be necessary unless the provincial and federal governments take steps to improve the standard of care for older Canadians.
While the Bruyere Institute study doesn’t offer any insight into why the mortality rate is so much higher at for-profit homes, some experts theorize that the facilities’ profit-driven model itself may be to blame.
“Ownership matters,” said Donna Rubin, CEO of the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors, to the Toronto Star. “(Non-profit homes) are not in it for the business of profit, so all surplus, if there is any, goes back into the home.”
Dr. Margaret McGregor, a family physician and researcher at the University of British Columbia, has also speculated that concern over earnings has led to a gap in care. Understaffing can lead to nursing errors, which may be a field of expertise for a personal injury lawyer.
“A lot of the research finds that for-profit facilities actually hire fewer staff,” Dr. McGregor told CTV News. “One can’t help but ask [if that is] because more staff affects the bottom line.”
Senior citizens are among the most vulnerable members of our society. Dementia rates are rising, with the number of afflicted Canadians expected to double in the next 20 years. When a resident of a long-term care facility experiences an insufficient standard of care, their options are limited. If a member of your family has suffered from inadequate care at an Ontario nursing home, contact a personal injury lawyer at Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers today to set up a free, no-obligation consultation.
Greg Neinstein
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