Once again, apologies for the sporadic Blog entries of late. There've been numerous distractions, not the least of which is fighting off a Nest of Nasties I managed to stir up when I took offence to one of their comments about "Accused Shoplifter dies after Stuggle [sic]" (He struggled with security guards...)
I'd been silently monitoring this police/enforcement/security forum for well over a year managing to stay silent. Then some police/enforcement/security member of this "Voice of Law Enforcement on the Internet" crapped out this comment about the Shoplifter's death.
"Kalamba? Sounds like the LPO saved Immigration a lot a paper work."
His racist remark was followed by with this smilie (WINK) gif. 
I waited for other members of "The Voice of Law Enforcement on the Internet" to take this guy to task but no. So... let's just say that I uncloaked --and I've been busy ever since.
There's also lots in the news to keep me over-extended --Everything swirling around the same depressing thing --The Obscene Lack of Accountability in this Dead-Last-in-Accountability-Province.
Anyone else reading about the vile conditions in Ontario's nursing homes while Peel Regional mayors and councillors posture-and-gush about how great it is to be Old in Peel?
Our own MissyNews weighed in with an editorial that began:
Yet, it was only at the June Peel Regional Council meeting, when four resident-representatives from Peel-run long term care homes were brought up before Council and thanked Brampton, Caledon, and Mississauga for the excellent care that they were receiving.
Yep, June 19, 2008 Peel Council agenda.
"5. DELEGATIONS/PRESENTATIONS (b)
Carolyn Clubine, Director, Long Term Care, Introducing Charles Lynch, Residents’ Council President, Vera M. Davis Centre; Phyllis Ferris, Residents’ Council President, Malton Village; Jim Turner, Residents’ Council President, Peel Manor; Eugene Koley, Residents’ Council President, Sheridan Villa and Joanne Hannah, Residents’ Council Representative, Tall Pines and Informing Regional Council about the Role and Function of Residents’ Councils (10 minutes requested)"
And --danged, less than two weeks later the Toronto Star coughs up: "All Brampton nursing homes cited". Just can not be! Why, listening to Mayor Fennell back on June 19th, you'd never know she was talkin' about the same Brampton care facilities. And Mississauga? Well, let's not forget our own MissyNews' article, "City nursing homes under fire " with the opening sentence:
"The majority of nursing homes in Mississauga have been reprimanded for failing to meet provincially-mandated standards of care, The Canadian Press is reporting."
Told ya.
Oh, I know I've never mentioned nursing homes before. But I've been sounding the alarm about the vast Municipal morality chasm between What is Trumpeted and The Truth.
LIKE --THIS IS HOW BAD IT REALLY IS
And what information does the mississauga.ca website contain while newspapers/media are exposing the nursing home issue?
Here are the current City of Mississauga "News Releases"!
'My Mississauga' Heats up City Centre with Outdoor Concert Series
Jul 10, 2008'My Mississauga' Concert Series at City Centre
Jul 04, 2008Mayor Hazel McCallion licenses her new dog with Animal Services
Jul 02, 2008Mississauga Receives Excellence in Municipal Systems Award
Jul 02, 2008
Let's surf to Brampton's brampton.ca and see what their news is:
Brampton Transit Sandalwood Facility Opens
Brampton City Council Recognizes Community Members
Small Business Enterprise Centre Recognizes Brampton’s Student Entrepreneurs
New Commissioner of Finance Announced"
And Peel Region's website? WARNING --you might get as simmering angry as I got.
"Since all of our centres are owned and operated by the Region of Peel, you can be confident we will continue to be accountable, operate in the best interest of the community and will always be there to meet Peel's long-term care needs.
All Region of Peel Long Term Care Centres operate in accordance with Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) standards. Our MOHLTC compliance reports are available in each centre for public viewing during visits to the centre. Peel Long Term Care is also accredited by the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation, the long-term care sector’s gold standard for quality service."
Hey! This is for YOU, Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga! On behalf of Peel's Elderly! Here's MY smiley gif!
And it's way worse than I thought. I happened to read a comment from a reader in the Toronto Star that suggests that Ontario's nursing home facilities know about the government "inspections" beforehand. That's right. And they still reek.
Allow me:
“When I worked at a Nursing home the Gov. inspector would call ahead to say that she was planning to visit . This would create a flurry of activity while chipped china and ripped bed sheets were put away and new ones placed out for the duration of the visit. When accreditation was coming up a consultant was hired who was a former employee of the ministry, She would tell us how to answer the questions and when we viewed the final draft it looked nothing like the one we worked on, all of the answers were changed by the administrator and the consultant. I hope that the consultant and the Admin. both finish up in the worse hellhole of a nursing home. This is were the Ministry fails to do its job.”
Imagine. Staff knowing that suits would be there ahead of time and go into "flurry of activity". Imagine. Supervisors telling Staff "how to answer the questions" for Government Inspectors. Imagine. Draft documents that "looked nothing like the one we worked on, all of the answers were changed by the administrator and the consultant."
Imagine -- Staff forewarned. Flurry of activity. Staff coached. Documents changed.
I don't have to Imagine. I experienced this all myself on October 6, 2004.
Oh, and back to that Nest of Nasties that I stirred up? Here's what they wrote about Accountabilty and how it wasn't needed.
"Does there need to be oversight? No. Why? Because. The system works. It has for some time. One person gets hurt or killed, and everyone cries about it. The system works and has for over 20 years."
Now this guy was talking about oversight for security guards. But you'd get the same noise from any Municipal and Ontario politician about Muncipalities, Universities, Schools, Hospitals, Child Care, Children's Aid, Long-Term Care/Nursing Homes (aka The MUSH Sector)
Why if there had been a Public Question Period for Peel Regional Meetings like I asked them to provide, I'd have gone up there on June 18th and asked Peel Council: "Do Peel's nursing homes need the Ombudsman's oversight to gauge compliance and accountability?" I know exactly what the answer would be.
"Does there need to be oversight? No. Why? Because. The system works. It has for some time. One person gets hurt or killed, and everyone cries about it. The system works and has for over 20 years."
Signed,
The (Bend Over Mississaugans, Peel Puppies, Citizens of Ontario -- there's way more surprises from our Public Trust Sector) Mississauga Muse
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"I hope that the consultant and the Admin. both finish up in the worse hellhole of a nursing home." ---"Mcpug10" Comment Torstar (2008-07-02)
"Big Brother has his hand firmly planted in our back pocket – government revenues his lifeline; unaccountability his refuge." (Andre Marin, Ontario Ombudsman --June 27, 2007)
"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear" ---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24)
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