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MEDIA RELEASE
Citizens Appeal for an Audit of
Alberta's Long Term Care Facilities
Date:
October 9, 2003
Location: Cochrane,
Alberta
Albertans concerned about the frail and elderly confined to nursing homes and other
long-term care facilities have appealed to the province's Auditor General for help.
A written request for an audit of Alberta's long-term care sector was submitted to the
Auditor General on September 5th, 2003. It was accompanied by a more detailed brief.
"A province wide audit is urgently needed," says Bev McKay, acting as spokesperson for
the 11 concerned citizens who signed the formal request along with McKay. "It would
ensure that the money contributed by the Alberta government and families for the care of
residents in such settings is being used to provide the best care possible."
Recent media reports of serious problems being swept under the rug in a number of
Alberta's long-term care facilities have focused long overdue public attention on the
many deficits plaguing this healthcare sector. This alone is not enough to lead to change.
"Still more needs to be done if government, and society at large, are to live up to their
responsibilities to protect and care for these vulnerable people," says McKay.
"One of the problems we commonly face is the lack of clear, concrete or readily available
information or data required to ensure accountability. For example, no one in government
seems to know what basic services physicians, registered nurses and care-aides are
required to provide long-term care patients. Nor do they seem to know if the services
residents receive meet their needs. They also don't appear to know which facilities, if
any, are in violation of regulatory standards. Even the most basic information, such as
the number of long-term care beds in this province, seems to have eluded them"
"The response of Alberta's Auditor General, Mr. Fred Dunn, is promising," says McKay.
He wrote: "Your letter and supporting documents identify many important issues that
could be examined by this Office. I believe that it is very important that an appropriate
accountability framework exists for long-term care in Alberta. The information that you
provided will be of great assistance to us when we plan and prioritize our future audit
activities."
Although Ontario's Auditor General recently conducted a value-for money-audit of long-
term-care facilities in that province, no such audit has ever been conducted in Alberta.
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For more information or interviews, please contact Bev McKay at (403) 932-5557.
Enc. 6 page Background Brief to the Auditor General's Office highlighting concerns.