That means families and friends will be increasingly tasked with the oversight of resident care — and good communication is key. Blocked from advocating for Alma, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, Rieser is right to speak out on an issue that is sadly commonplace in Ontario long term care homes. Now 84-year-old Fred Rieser is suing a Niagara Falls long term care home, saying staff did not include him in discussions about his wife’s pneumonia treatment before she died. Ongoing Star investigations into long term care homes have detailed multiple cases of families who were not informed about serious health problems, from pneumonia to deep, infected pressure ulcers. Programs, whether in the community or long term care, must adapt and allow residents what Harvey calls the “dignity of taking risks.”Unfortunately, these innovative ideas remain the exception.

Source: thestar January 27, 2017 20:48 UTC