A number of residential care senior citizens could very well be living independently

A whole new review by B.C.'s Elderly people Advocate affirms lots of elderly senior citizens are living in residential care that could very well be living independently.

"If you are not in need of that level of proper care, it's really a rather uninspiring experience to live in such a limited community, that is what you require when you're providing the safety for higher acute clients," claimed Isobel Mackenzie.

Mackenzie released the report, Placement, Drugs and Therapy... We Could Do Better, on Tuesday right after looking at health assessment documents from B.C.'s 25,000 senior citizens in residential care and 29,000 senior citizens receiving homecare.

The seniors advocate has worked in home care for Twenty years. She suggests up to 15 per-cent of B.C. seniors at present living in residential care are usually incorrectly housed and really should be given access to assisted living or perhaps community care.

Excessive medication recommended

Mackenzie's review furthermore discovers an unneccessary use of medications as well as a lack of rehabilitation therapy within care facilities.

It states that 33 percent of residential care patients are being prescribed antipsychotic medication, yet only 4 % are generally diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.

"This excessive use, or incorrect use, or even imbalance of prescription is certainly problematic when you have a look at 50 % of seniors in residential care take 9 or maybe more medications."

Similarly, nearly half of residential care clients are given by doctors antidepressant medication when just Twenty four percent have been diagnosed with depression.

Government not really surprised at findings

B.C.'s Minister of Health Terry Lake claims the provincial government is operating diligently to address these issues.

"We will work hard with various companies that are in seniors' care to reduce the reliance on antipsychotics and prescription drugs in general.

"I think those are a couple of findings that aren't a real surprise to us and we'll be working on to address."

The Office of the Seniors Advocate will release a extensive review of seniors' housing at the end of spring.