Nursing Home Abuse and Elder Abuse in Toronto

Toronto is Canada's most populous city and as its population ages, the abuse of the elderly is a growing concern for the community and local law enforcement. Reported cases of nursing home abuse and elder abuse are on the rise. The elderly are particularly vulnerable for abuse due to dependency on other persons for care and assisted living. Many elders become silent victims of abuse due to lack of awareness, communication and fear.

Toronto is a culturally diverse city and elder abuse may happen to anyone regardless of sex, race, culture, religion, physical or mental condition and financial status. With the trend moving towards independent community living, many seniors are finding themselves in their final years in a nursing home. Demands for nursing homes continue to rise as the number of qualified care workers struggle to keep pace. Many cases of abuse are traced to negligence - by staff, officials and operators of the facility.

The lack of government funding for health care in Ontario is a key issue that has the most impact on the elder population. From The Ontario Public Service Employees Union:

Using interviews, research and government statistics, the report, titled "Violence, Insufficient Care and Downloading of Heavy Care Patients: An evaluation of increasing need and inadequate standards in Ontario's nursing homes" reveals that patients with increasingly complex and heavy care needs are being downloaded into long term care homes, causing an increase in violence, accident and injury. Despite the evidence of significant unmet care needs the provincial government has delayed regulating the homes to ensure that funding goes to increasing care levels.[i]

All abuse is immoral and some are criminal. If you are in need of legal advice for a possible case of elder abuse in Toronto, please contact a nursing home abuse lawyer today.

[i] (Ontario Health Coalition, Long Term Care Facilities - Insufficient care levels, violence and increasing need in Ontario nursing homes, http://www.opseu.org/bps/health/longterm/ohcmay082008.htm )