Alberta Elderly Left To Die

OTTAWA, ONTARIO-"The president of NUPGE, the National Union of Public & General Employees, accused the Alberta government today of systematically stripping the elderly of their rights."

"Most of these assisted living facilities are unlicensed, unregulated and unmonitored. It means the elderly are left essentially on their own. It's simply unacceptable that in this day and age in a country as rich, in a province as rich as Alberta, we can't do more for them.

"Clancy says the change in legislation began 30 years ago and has left the elderly without the protection afforded most Canadians. Ruth Adria, president of the Elder Advocates of Alberta Society, says there is extreme pressure placed on the guardians of the elderly to sign non-resuscitation consent forms when the elderly are admitted.

"As a result when an elderly person becomes ill, particularly in a locked unit where there's often little or virtually no staff, the elderly person is often just left to die and there's no intervention.

"Ms Adria says she's tired of writing letters of complaints to government agencies about the abuse because in the end no change ever takes place.

"This morning a man will appear in court here because he harmed a dog. However when a senior is harmed or even mortally harmed it is done with impunity.

"Due to group housing shortages in Alberta, only 5% of the elderly are in government operated group homes. For this reason there's no way of estimating the true extent of elder abuse in the province.

James ClancyPresident (613) 228-9800
Elder Advocates of Alberta SocietyRuth Adria(780) 438-8314