Not enough is being done in the health care system to raise awareness about issues concerning people with developmental disabilities, according to activists in Lethbridge and Calgary. The recent death of a Calgary disabled person in provincial care scalding in his bath water is evidence of this, according to Lethbridge quadriplegic and activist Ryan Gerstenbuhler.
The Personals with Developmental Disabilities in the province of Alberta has faced budget shortfalls and cutbacks, especially in areas of wages for frontline workers, those who provide assistance and care tod developmental persons, leading to a decrease in productivity and lack of care for patients who are typically assigned one worker for every three patients. Front line workers tend to be inexperienced and underpaid post secondary students, with little or no preparation to handle the disabled.
Gerstenbuhler intends on raising awareness about budgetary constraints and their impact on the effective care of the disabled in the program, through flyer printings and news conferences through organizations like the Lethbridge Seniors and Community Supports program, which runs the PDD program.
The campaign will be aimed at helping agencies review safety practices and little procedures like checking hot water heaters where clients are being bathed.
Activists believe that the PDD should have its own ministry to ensure adequate care. The ministry must also look at addressing agency staff wages as part of a budging planning process for next year’s budget.
While the specifics of the Calgary death have not yet been reported through Print companies or the media, the province has initiated an investigation and the facility standards and caring practices of the PDD are expected to be hot issues in the media until next the Seniors and Community Support’s budget next year.Get a Free Quote for Print
