The health authority says none of the submissions in response to a call for proposals met the criteria
Island Health says it has yet to find an alternate facility for people with addictions in need of around-the-clock medical attention currently living in a Victoria long-term care home.
Segregated “special population units” were created about three years ago at The Summit in Victoria and Dufferin Place in Nanaimo for people with medical, mental-health and behavioural issues who proved too disruptive for other seniors homes and hospitals.
Complaints boiled over last summer about mostly younger residents with acute mental-health issues — and in some cases addictions — being placed in long-term care facilities with frail elderly seniors.
Staff told theTimes Colonistthat Dufferin Place in Nanaimo, which had capacity for 12 people in its special populations unit, operated like a glorified homeless shelter with no rules or specialized staffing to deal with “drugs, weapons, alcohol and violence.”
Staff at The Summit on Hillside Avenue, a 320-bed, publicly funded residential care facility, faced similar problems with their 32-person-capacity “special population” unit.
Summit staff called for enforcement of no-smoking rules, full-time security and specialized clinicians to deal with hard-to-house residents who they said regularly smoked illicit drugs, uttered threats and posed a risk to elderly residents.
The B.C. Nurses’ Union, meanwhile, demanded that the health authority act on safety complaints about a small group of violent or psychotic younger patients — some using drugs or alcohol — in the special populations units.
As a result, this year Dufferin Place stopped accepting new admissions and remaining residents were transferred to other facilities. There is no longer a special population unit at Dufferin Place.
At The Summit, 24/7 security was added to address behavioural problems on and around the property and escort visitors who wanted assistance.
A barrier was also erected to stop smoke from entering the building, said Island Health, which emphasized that substance use is not allowed in health authority long-term-care homes.
Last fall, Island Health began a public tendering process for a longer-term care facility for “special populations” with complex medical, mental health, behavioural and possibly substance-use issues.
The request was for proposals to accommodate a few dozen people in a leased property in Victoria and a purpose-built one in Nanaimo.
But Island Health said none of the proposals received met the criteria due to size, location or building condition.
The health authority said it continues to work on identifying suitable, standalone care facilities for “this special population.”
Island Health said as a publicly funded care provider, it has a responsibility to serve all people who qualify for long-term care, “including those with complex behavioral and substance-use needs,” adding it recognizes the importance of such care being delivered in the appropriate setting.
The health authority said its investments in additional staff, training and safety measures have led to positive changes at the special population units, but “we recognize that the unique needs of this population require a different approach to fully address ongoing safety and security concerns.”
Staff at The Summit, meanwhile, said the situation has not changed much since mitigation measures were put in place.
One employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the facility still has two smoking patios, “one for regular smokers and one for residents consuming substances such as methamphetamines and fentanyl,” both of which are off the special population unit.
Asked about the claim, Island Health said special population unit residents are not allowed to smoke drugs on the patio.
Another employee said there is a revolving door of security guards at the facility, and at least one resident deals drugs, a fact the employee said is known to staff, management and even police.
Both employees said the unit is attracting gatherings of people who are unhoused or have addictions outside the front and back of the facility, making staff and families uncomfortable.
“It has become so bad that the sidewalks in the morning are often completely full of garbage,” said one employee. “Sometimes groups of people are actively consuming and walking by is a safety hazard.” Two employees had their cars vandalized.
“[Staff] feel bad for family members “not really feeling safe when they come in to visit their elderly family member in the long-term-care side of things,” said another employee. “Staff are at this point are pretty cynical about it. Nobody seems to really be able to do anything.”
The health authority said fewer than half the residents in the special population unit use illicit substances and overall many residents of The Summit smoke tobacco, which is a “challenge at all long-term care sites and is not unique to The Summit.”
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