NS Abuse news story

N.S. disability groups want review of abuse, minister doesn't rule it out
Published Friday September 18th, 2009


Michael Tutton, THE CANADIAN PRESS

HALIFAX, N.S. - The Nova Scotia government is being asked to conduct an independent review into residential centres for the mentally handicapped and mentally ill following the release of figures on abuse levels in the homes.

Mary Rothman, director of the Nova Scotia Association for Community Living, joined a group of parents, social workers and activists on Friday to express concern about 43 cases of abuse that were classified as "founded" by investigators in care facilities in the province in less than two years. Rothman said the majority of the cases of physical, sexual and emotional abuse happen in larger facilities, with at least 34 out of the total happening in adult residential centres and regional rehabilitation centres. "We need to tell this new government we cannot keep doing the wrong thing," she said at a news conference. "We are calling for an independent review of the total system."

Of the total, 19 were cases of staff abusing residents, and 24 involved residents abusing other residents. The 43 cases determined to be "founded" by investigators happened between Oct. 2, 2007, and July 31, 2009, government documents show.

Paul Young, a consultant on disability issues, said he's concerned there hasn't been a larger public reaction to the figures. "The public gets up in arms about cruelty to animals, but there's more outrage about that then there is of abuse of people in institutions," he said. Young and other advocates have long argued for closure of larger facilities, which has happened in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and British Columbia, where residents have been shifted to homes or small facilities that seek to involve them in their surrounding community. Young criticized Premier Darrell Dexter's government for showing little sign of shifting its policies early in its mandate. "Come and talk to us. We know what can be done," he said. "There are many examples in the world of what can be done to help people live in community with everyone."

Advocacy groups say about 700 developmentally disabled people out of 1,600 in licensed care facilities in the province are living in the large centres - one of the highest per capita rates in Canada. The province doesn't dispute the figure, but says it's difficult to compare. "Some provinces do not have large community-based facilities so some individuals are placed in hospitals," a spokesman for the Community Services Department said in an email. In some instances, the mix of mental health patients, including those with long-term schizophrenia or behavioural disorders, with the mentally handicapped, such as those with Down syndrome, may be inappropriate, the groups say. The dormitory-style settings often house several residents in one room and require the sharing of washroom facilities.

Sherry MacEachern, grandmother of a 13-year-old boy with cerebral palsy, said she spent decades working at larger residential centres in the province and would not want her grandson to live in one.
"My biggest fear is that without a change in the way of thinking this is where one day my precious grandchild could end up," she said.

Documents obtained by The Canadian Press under freedom of information laws show almost half of the abuse cases happened at the Riverview centre, a large adult residential facility in Riverton in northeastern Nova Scotia.

The chief executive officer of the non-profit Riverview centre has said it has taken thorough steps to protect residents, including added training for staff and moving residents who have behaved inappropriately towards other residents.

Community Services Minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse said she's doing an internal review on Riverview and hasn't ruled out an independent study of the system. "I'm information-gathering myself," she said in an interview. "I need a bit of time to have a look at that and see what direction would be most appropriate to go at that time. That may very well be an independent review but I need all the information on the table to make a decision on that."

The previous Conservative government had already started an independent review of the administration and operation of the Riverview facility.
Peterson-Rafuse said considering a wider shift away from large institutions will take time, noting that some parents support the status quo.
"There are many sides to a story," she said. "We do have people in larger residential care who are very happy and healthy, and whose families are satisfied and feel that they wouldn't be able to cope otherwise if they didn't have that facility available to them."

Thanks for the information.
It was a nice read.