A report worth $1 million, prepared after a suggestion to shut down the Manitoba office safeguarding seniors in care, has been with the health minister since December, casting doubt on the future of the plan due to the lack of progress in implementation.
The Manitoba auditor general’s damning report in July 2023 highlighted numerous issues within the Protection for Persons in Care Office, a unit under the provincial health department tasked with receiving and investigating abuse or neglect reports in personal care homes or hospitals.
The report uncovered severe cases of abuse being overlooked, with complaints taking up to three years to be addressed, and instances where findings of misconduct were reversed by an office director. Consequently, the Progressive Conservative government at the time proposed disbanding the office and establishing an independent investigative entity reporting directly to the legislature.
William Burnett, a former justice from Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench and Court of Appeal, was enlisted to oversee the establishment of the new office. However, with the change in government to the NDP following the 2023 election, the initiative seems to have stalled, lacking new funding and a firm commitment from the health minister regarding its future.
CanAge’s president and CEO, Laura Tamblyn Watts, expressed disappointment at the prolonged inaction on the report, emphasizing the need for substantive changes, including the creation of a transparent office to address abuse issues affecting seniors.
Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara stated that the recommendations from Burnett’s report have been under review since December, with no definitive decision disclosed yet. While not confirming the continuation of the independent office plan, the minister emphasized the government’s focus on fulfilling its commitments to Manitobans.
As per records obtained through freedom of information laws, Burnett was compensated over $1.04 million for his consultancy services until the end of his contract, which includes developing the model for the new office and advising on its implementation process. Despite the financial investment, the implementation of the recommendations seems to have hit a standstill under the current government.
The NDP government has taken steps to address immediate concerns by clearing the existing office’s backlog, increasing investigator numbers, and introducing an independent seniors’ advocate office. This advocate’s office, set to launch this fall pending legislation, will assess senior-related issues but lacks investigatory powers.
Critics like Trevor King, the Progressive Conservatives’ seniors and long-term care spokesperson, criticized the NDP for seemingly disregarding the substantial investment in Burnett’s recommendations. Tamblyn Watts echoed the importance of having an investigative office alongside the seniors’ advocate to effectively address abuse issues.
The Protection for Persons in Care Office received numerous reports of potential abuse or neglect, with a portion leading to investigations and findings of abuse in several cases. The health minister’s spokesperson confirmed that the auditor general’s recommendations have been mostly addressed, with the release of Burnett’s full report anticipated by September or early October.
