The Québec Ombudsman received a report about Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS) de l’Estrie. Seemingly, the supervision of people with symptoms of dementia at Hôpital de Granby, which reports to the CIUSSS, was inadequate. The Québec Ombudsman decided to intervene.
The report concerned the medical unit staff. It described inadequate supervision and interventions regarding patients with symptoms of dementia. The Québec Ombudsman investigated to determine whether care and service quality had been compromised.
Intervention
Patients with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSDs) may exhibit risky or disruptive behaviour. As a result, unit staff must use strategies based on the person’s specific features and limits.
The Québec Ombudsman noted that these practices were not always established. For example:
- At times, means of control were used automatically;
- When a restraining device was used, monitoring and follow-up were insufficient.
Recommendations
The Québec Ombudsman made six recommendations to CIUSSS de l’Estrie — Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke. They were aimed at:
- Applying intervention strategies that are better adapted to people with BPSDs;
- Fostering the appropriate application, documentation and monitoring of control measures.
The CIUSSS accepted all the Québec Ombudsman’s recommendations. The Ombudsman will ensure that they are implemented.
English summary of the intervention report concerning Hôpital de Granby (PDF, 193 KiB)
