About The ACE Team

 

I

THE ACE TEAM

 

    The formation of the ACE Team is a result of concerned citizens that came together as a group in July 2006 whose common purpose is to improve the quality of living conditions for the elderly in long-term care.  Thus, the mission statement for ACE, “Quality living Conditions for the Elderly in Long-Term Care”.  

    

     The list continues to grow as our reputation to seek improvements for long-term care continues to grow.  Most of our members have had a loved one residing in a long-term care facility.  All have expressed the fact the elderly should and deserve better care than what is presently being demonstrated in long term care facilities. 

 

    Issues and conditions concerning the ACE Team are; staffing shortages, resulting in residents in not getting the proper care they deserve, one bath a week, as an example,  the increasing cost of pharmacare  and polypharmacy that contribute to these costs,  accountability and transparency when it comes to abuse suffered by residents,  the “ Single Point of Entry”  and the “One Hundred Kilometer Rule” where a person needing longterm care can be placed long distances away from their community preventing caregivers and family members easy access to their loved one,  As a result of some of these deficiencies there are reports of physical abuse still occurring along with systemic abuse

    

    The ACE Team has been instrumental in bringing about the replacement of nine aging nursing homes, completed in 2014 and the closure of  the dreaded Transitional Care Unit 4A in the infamous Centennial Building V.G.H. site, scheduled to be demolished in the near future.   The ACE Team has also been instrumental in the creation of Care by Design headed by Dr. Barry Clarke that has allowed the ability of longterm care facilities to be serviced 24/7 by medical physicians on every floor.   Despite these accomplishments to rid longterm care of rundown and dilapidated and greatly improved attending medical physicians,  nothing much has changed to improve the quality of care for the elderly and long term care residents. 

    Since the creation of The ACE  Team there have been a multitude of  very expensive million dollar reports, presentations, conventions, studies, and business plans with only a very minute improvement towards the quality of health care for the elderly and  long term residents to thrive in a safe homelike atmosphere

 

Article 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms state; The right to equal treatment before and under the law; and to equal benefit and protection of the law without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability. The courts have also recognized other grounds of discrimination that are not specifically set out in the Charter such as sexual orientation and marital status. This section came into effect in 1985.

It is our opinion the elderly are not being treated in accordance of this Charter. and are subject to ageism.

 

    There are also other acts that have been passed but are not baring much fruit in the way that the elderly are being protected.  One such act is the Protection for the Persons in Care Act which states that any abuse toward a resident of any long-term care facility must be reported to authorities.  But, as recent reports in the media has demonstrated this law is not affective in the way that the elderly are still vulnerable and needs to be strengthened.  In the past ten years over sixty homicides have occurred across Canada without a single person, facility or owner fined or held accountable.  

 

    We continue to be active in meeting with government and health officials.  We feel we must remain vigilant so that improvements will continue to be made.   We welcome anyone who has an interest in these issues and who would like to become active in helping us to make our mission statement a reality.   Anyone interested may contact The ACE Team at; theaceteam@ns.sympatico.ca  

 

                            Gary MacLeod

                            Chairperson ACE Team