On February 26, 2015, I received a registered letter from the facility in which my mom had resided for two and a half years requesting that I limit my visits to my mother to between the hours of 1 p.m and 3 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Mom loved to have afternoon tea in the living room with me. Tea was from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The restrictions meant we would only be able to have tea together once a week on Tuesdays instead of every day as we had been accustomed to do. She also got a great deal of joy from Thursday morning sing-alongs; we would no longer be able to attend those either.
Furthermore, Mom was normally in a sedated antipsychotic sleep each day until about 3 p.m., which meant she would be sleeping during the time I was “allowed” to visit. I asked for the hours to be changed. My request was refused.
Denying family members access to the people they love is a form of abuse. The abuse and the number of people who are subjected to it in Canada is finally coming to light because of advocates like me, Mary, and Tanni. See our stories in the videos and links below.
The story ran on the CBC’s website, and also topped the soft news portion of CBC’s The National on Friday, November 22, 2019.
Please contact Marketplace if you have a similar story to share.
four years later is too late for my mom. but it’s not for others.
6 reasons why staff in long-term care facilities don’t report incidents of elder abuse and neglect
25 practices long-term care workers know are elder neglect and abuse; it’s time to put a stop to it
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My Alzheimer's Story 