Seniors in a long term care home have been traumatized by the rampant open drug use they have been subjected to following a decision by the B.C. provincial government to house drug users next to the facility.
A section of the Dufferin Place long term care facility in Nanaimo was reallocated to create a unit for addiction and mental health care.
The British Columbia Conservative party has condemned the move after being contacted by concerned staff and residents’ loved ones.
“We have a situation where vulnerable seniors, many with mobility issues or dementia, are housed directly beside individuals with deteriorating mental health issues, including paranoia and aggression, who have been given free rein to use psychotic-inducing drugs and carry dangerous weapons,”said Gwen O’Mahony, the B.C. Conservative candidate for Nanaimo-Lantzville, in a statement.
“It’s a disaster in the making.”
Staff and residents’ family members have reported instances of open drug deals taking place outside the facility entrance, and along the roadside and the surrounding area.
While many family members and employees remain concerned with the province’s decision, many wished to remain anonymous, the B.C. Conservatives said.
However, Nanaimo resident Janayh Wright shared her distress regarding the fact that open drug deals were taking place where her grandmother was admitted.
Wright said she felt unsafe visiting in the evenings and worried about her grandmother and other residents, according to the B.C. Conservative party’s statement.
A number of individuals have been seen injecting drugs in broad daylight, with numerous reports of patients smoking crack and meth inside the building.
“I wouldn’t want my loved one housed in such close proximity to uncontrolled illegal drug dealing and drug use. This ill-thought-out decision failed to conduct due diligence and perform a risk assessment when housing two extremely vulnerable groups under one roof,” said O’Mahony.
Those concerned are worried about the effect the second-hand crack smoke is having on their loved ones and the healthcare professionals, as a result of the facility’s recirculation system.
“Second-hand crack and meth smoke inhalation, theft, and violence are the key concerns. Given the extremely lax approach the NDP has taken regarding public drug use and drug use inside hospitals, it’s no surprise that prioritizing drug use spaces over the safety of seniors, who deserve respect and a peaceful place to live out their remaining days, has become the norm,” added O’Mahony.
According to a statement released by the Conservative Party of B.C., “one nurse took early retirement upon learning that her shifts would be divided between geriatric care and mental health and addictions, stating this was not what she had signed up for.”
Additionally, health care workers informed the party that they are not permitted to confiscate or ban the carrying of weapons, such as knives, as the BC government has advised that doing so would “violate the individuals’ rights and contribute to stigma.”
The section being reallocated for addiction and mental health patients has also led to a bed shortage for senior patients, forcing new arrivals to wait in a windowless room in the facility’s basement until a bed becomes available.
“Addiction care is a highly specialized area of medicine that must be offered in a safe, appropriate facility with the proper resources and supports in place, not a patchwork quilt of services each community is forced to piece together,” said O’Mahony.
Premier David Eby’s office did not respond to a request for comment from True North.