So if you went to visit your grandpa in a senior's home and he had a black eye, you might want to know what happened.
Caregivers might think it was from family members. Family members might suspect it was from caregivers.
Currently, there is very little protection for the victims in that situation.
It would be different if vulnerable adults in the health-care system had the same level of protection as vulnerable children. That's the reason Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas has introduced a private member’s bill that will make it mandatory for regulated health professionals to report any situation where an adult has suffered abuse, neglect or mistreatment.
Gélinas introduced Bill 253 — Support for Adults in Need of Assistance Act, 2021 — to the Ontario legislature this week where it received full support of the house in the first reading. The bill will need full approval for second and third readings before it would become law in Ontario.
Speaking at a news conference held at Queen's Park on Feb. 25, Gélinas explained highlighted the fact Ontario has laws to protect children from suspected abuse, but not one to protect adults in care.
"Every health-care professional in Ontario has a duty to report suspicion of abuse of children. Bill 253, Support for Adults in Need of Assistance, will extend the regulated health professional's duty to report to vulnerable adults," said Gélinas.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, we've seen how important oversight is to the well being of vulnerable people," she said. Gélinas added that Bill 253 will provide the oversight and protection for vulnerable adults.
During the news conference Gélinas provided an example, which she said was unfortunately a true case.
"A nurse was giving someone a bath. She noticed that his back was covered with burns from cigarette butts. The nurse now would have not only the requirement to report, but a clear path for reporting, which did not exist, still does not exist," said Gélinas.
"It creates a requirement that regulated health professionals make a report if they have reasonable suspicion that anyone over the age of 16 is being abused or neglected," she added.
Bill 253 would also require the creation of review teams to examine each case and recommend action for each person who needs protection. The review teams would have time deadlines and the power for investigators to enter premises to gather evidence. The new bill would also mandate the gathering of data and publication of investigation results every six months.
Gélinas spoke about the progress of the bill and said although there was unanimous support for the first reading on Tuesday, that doesn't mean the bill will automatically be approved.
"The process to go through second and third reading is a process that unfortunately, as a member of the opposition is kind of slow, so I cannot give you a timeline." Gélinas is also the official health care critic for the opposition.
She said it is now up to the government to decide what committee will examine the bill and whether it will be sent back to the house for continued support. That information is not normally shared with opposition MPPs.
That said, Gélinas said she is told that not a week goes by that a health-care professional becomes aware of an adult in the system that is somehow being abused or neglected. In many of these cases Gélinas said police are brought in to investigate, but the support system for the victim usually falls flat. She said this has been made worse with the pandemic.
Sudbury.com asked Gélinas if she would like to see the bill pass before the next election, scheduled for June 2022.
"Absolutely. This is something I would like. We are scheduled to sit at Queen's Park until the beginning of June. I would like this process to be done before we rise in June. There is no reason to drag this on," said Gélinas.
"I cannot think of anyone who would not want to give support to vulnerable adults that are being neglected or abused. I hope that there will be support on all sides of the house. But I cannot control this, so I don't make promises I can't keep," she said.
Len Gillis is a Local Journalism Reporter at Sudbury.com, covering health care issues in Northeastern Ontario.
