Finally, others are reporting on the care at GPC

• Spencer van Vloten

The Curse of George Pearson Centre

George Pearson Centre is one of Canada's most notorious long-term care centres (Photo: HaniDani)

By Spencer van Vloten

BC Disability

George Pearson Centre is one of Canada's most notorious long-term care centres. In this series, The Curse of George Pearson Centre, we'll tell the harrowing stories of the residents who live there, and the family members fighting to protect them.

In part 1, we'll explore the creation of the centre, and how the circumstances of its founding laid the foundation for decades of controversy.

Part 1 - Captives and Incurables: The Founding of George Pearson Centre

If you drive past 700 West 57th Avenue in Vancouver, you’ll see it.

A long series of buildings—grey, unremarkable, and outdated – framed by an assortment of shrubs, pine trees, and grassy patches. From a distance, the site is easily mistaken for an unremarkable elementary school or something similarly commonplace.

But the story of the institution at West 57th is anything but commonplace.

Opened on May 14th, 1952, George Pearson Centre bears the name of George Sharratt Pearson.

A political firebrand and long-time MLA who was once Minister of Health, Pearson wasn’t subtle in his approach. He stoked fear and fervently marshalled anti-Japanese sentiment during World War II, calling for BC’s entire Japanese population to be forced out, even as the RCMP and Canadian Armed Forces assured him there was no threat.

It was thus with irony that when Pearson opened, initially as a tuberculosis treatment centre called the George Pearson Tuberculosis Hospital, its first patients were 9 Japanese men who had been transferred from an internment camp where they’d become ill as captives.

The first people treated in Pearson’s name were thus the people who’d become sick in the same oppressive conditions he’d championed for the BC’s Japanese population.

George Pearson (L) fiercely called for the removal of BC’s Japanese population, yet the first patients treated in his name were a group of Japanese men who’d been held captive in an internment camp (R).

While it initially provided a useful service in its treatment of tuberculosis, Pearson Centre faced an identity crisis just a few years after opening.

Medical advances quickly made it obsolete as a tuberculosis treatment centre, at which point it was reinvented with a focus on polio treatment. But, soon after, powerful medications were introduced which also made polio treatment centres redundant, and this once again left Pearson without a purpose, in search of yet another identity.

That would be found in the mid-1960s, with the rise of deinstitutionalization.

In 1965, the provincial government closed 3 degrading institutions for so-called ‘incurables’— adults with serious disabilities who were warehoused and kept from public view until they died.

With the government looking for another place to store these persons, and George Pearson Centre now having the openings, a partnership was readily struck.

Thus began the process of using Pearson as a dumping ground for past residents of other institutions, a process that would speed up through the 1970s as more institutions closed.

As a result, Pearson became one of the main sources of continuity from BC’s dark years, where persons with complex needs were cast into the shadows, forced to live outside of society in seclusion and restraint.

Pearson Centre became one of the main sources of continuity from BC’s dark years, where persons with complex needs were cast into the shadows

Although it’s undergone several changes in administration in the following decades, from the provincial government, to the BC Rehab Society, and now Vancouver Coastal Health, George Pearson Centre remains a place for adults with serious disabilities –the ‘incurables’ – to live long-term.

And at a glance, it doesn't seem so bad.

There are presently 114 long-term care beds. It has a Residents' Council. Each of its wards has a doctor, and there are respiratory therapists present Monday to Friday. It also has a unionized work force.

In 2018-2019, Pearson offered 5.49 total direct care hours (hours of care per resident per day): the largest amount of care hours of all the publicly funded long-term care facilities in BC. Its operating budget in 2014 was a whopping $14 million, indicating no shortage of funds.

On paper, it all sounds pretty good for the residents. But what happens at Pearson goes much deeper and darker, and must be traced back to the past.

Cursed From The Start

The historical account above highlights 2 factors which had a lasting impact on George Pearson Centre and the treatment of its residents.

The 1st is that, as a hospital for tuberculosis patients, Pearson was built with short-term cases in mind. This meant that it was never designed to house or treat permanent residents with complex needs; that was merely done on the fly out of convenience when Pearson was no longer of use as a tuberculosis and polio treatment centre.

The infamous Woodlands is one of the institutions that George Pearson Centre would receive many new residents from

The 2nd is that Pearson, from its inception, was embedded in a culture of control and restriction.

Built in the name of a man who advocated the imprisonment of Japanese-Canadians, its first residents were literal captives, and it found its lasting niche in carrying on the work of institutions where people were left to be out of public view, where nearly all aspects of their lives were out of their own hands.

Pearson, at its core, is therefore at odds with a model of living in which long-term residents are given the appropriate care, and are respected as individuals who hold the power over how what they do and how they are treated.

And the results speak for themselves.

George Pearson Centre According to the Experts: The People Who Live There

For decades, Pearson Centre has been at the center of controversy.

Almost every part of life at Pearson has been called into question by families, residents, and advocates: the quality of the food; the dreary, outdated building and depressing halls; the restrictions on visitors; and things much more serious.

Paul Caune, a former George Pearson resident who campaigned successfully for his freedom, has been one of the most vocal critics, and produced a film based on his own time in Pearson.

Hope is Not a Plan is chilling account that recalls the neglect, psychological abuse, and trauma that Caune and others, some of whom didn’t live to tell their tale, endured.

Sharing his experiences and those of other residents and families is so important, Caune says, “because they’re the only ones telling the truth about George Pearson Centre.”

A former Pearson resident, Paul Caune recalls his experiences in the film Hope is Not a Plan

The response of George Pearson Centre, of health authorities, and broader government to Caune and others has been tepid, to say the least. Staff say a lot of ‘sorries’, and, in some cases, there’s a hesitant admission that a patient didn’t ‘receive the best possible care at that particular time’.

But little to no official acknowledgment is given that a systemic problem exists within Pearson, and it’s the residents and their families who must keep paying the price:

Residents neglected, their bodies left to rot and eat themselves away

Residents left to suffocate and burn

Grown men in fear and tears, just at the possibility of having to go back

These are some of the stories coming out of Pearson today if you talk to residents or their families. But, shocking as they might be, as much as they conflict with our sense how people are treated in Canada, they’re still unheard by much of the broader public, and by many of the people with the power to make a difference.

That’s why, in this series, we’ll tell these stories, examining how institutionalized neglect and abuse has been allowed to continue for decades in a country that prides itself on doing the right thing, in a city that sees itself as a leader in this regard.

These are the stories of George Pearson Centre, an institution cursed from the start, and a place where people are cast aside and left to die.

Stay tuned for part 2 to read about one family's disturbing discovery.....

Further Reading: The Cruel Compassion of George Person Centre by Paul Caune

Spencer van Vloten is the editor of BC Disability. To get in touch, send an email to spencer@bcdisability.com!

• george pearson centre
• paul caune
  

 

 

 

 

 

George Pearson Centre

THE CRUEL COMPASSION OF GEORGE PEARSON CENTRE

• Published on August 1, 2020 updated 2021

Paul Caune

Executive Director of CIVIL RIGHTS NOW!

25 articles

“We’ve read all the reports, and I think we saw one today going back to 1991 that talked about changes which hadn’t taken place ten years earlier, so 1980. So we recognize that there are lots of issues that need to get resolved—we want to address as many of these as we possibly can.” VCH CEO Dr. David Ostrow, November 8, 2011.

"VCH is a people-focused organization that focuses on our organizational values of learning, caring, and results."

As of 2020, George Pearson Centre (GPC) is an extended care hospital for 114 adults with severe disabilities, which is owned and operated by Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH). GPC resides in Vancouver, BC, Canada, a G-7 country.

GPC has a Residents' Council. Each of its wards has a doctor. It has Respiratory Therapists Monday to Friday. It has an unionized work force. In 2018- 2019 GPC had 5.49 total direct care hours (hours of care per resident per day): the largest amount of care hours of all the publicly funded LTC facilities in BC. It has beautiful gardens. And its current manager, Romilda Ang, is paid $122,711 a year (see here page 3) by VCH (which has a budget of $3.6 billion). [2021 update: Ms. Ang retired in April 2021.)

(According to the notes of the November 26, 2014 meeting of the George Pearson Redevelopment Committee (which I got by FOI): "the total care/operational budget [of GPC] is $14 million.")

Built in 1952 in Vancouver, at 700 West 57th Avenue, GPC was initially a sanatorium for people infected with Tuberculosis (TB). On April 9, 1952 its first patients arrived: nine Japanese men who had been waiting seven years in a Japanese internment camp hospital for a bed. It was named in honour of a former BC Minister of Health, George S. Pearson (a cowardly, hysterical racist). Then GPC became an institution housing people suffering from complications from Polio who needed iron lungs. For more than a decade, GPC provided a vital service to those two groups. Fortunately, drugs were invented to effectively treat TB and vaccines were discovered to prevent TB and Polio. Soon enough the original purposes for GPC no longer existed.

(GPC was originally named the George Pearson Tuberculosis Hospital, then renamed the Pearson Hospital for the Physically Handicapped, and then renamed the George Pearson Centre in 1984.)

A new purpose was found in 1965, when the BC Government closed three decrepit homes for so-called “incurables”. The residents were placed in GPC. Since then, all of BC has used GPC as a warehouse for adults with serious disabilities. When the BC government decided in the early 1970s to liberate children and adults from degrading institutions such as the Woodlands School, for reasons unknown to me, GPC residents were not included. At one time, GPC was “home” to over 300 residents. GPC was administered by the BC government from 1952 to 1984, then by the BC Rehab Society, and since 2001 its been owned and operated by VCH . Currently there are 114 residents.

Life In GPC

According to a former resident who lived at GPC from 1955 to 1992:“Sometimes there are people on the ward who are dying. That’s really hard,” she says. “You try to be normal and eat your meals and do your thing. But a part of you is so aware.” [Jeannette] Andersen says what she’s most looking forward to at Noble House is: “Privacy. It’ll be so nice to have my family and friends over and just close the door. If the kids are noisy, I won’t have to hush them. It’ll just be having people over in my own home.”–Vancouver Sun Jan 31, 1992.

"Jeanette Andersen arrived at Pearson as a teenager in 1955. She was 16 when she contracted polio; her first six months at the the Hospital were spent in an iron lung. In early 1992, Jeanette moved to her own apartment in the Noble House and relishes the freedom she has found after 37 years on Ward 7. She had a different attitude towards Hospital authority, but she also paid a price. In her youth at Pearson, Jeanette did not protest or complain. She was too nice, which made her vulnerable.

[Jeanette's words] All you need was one health-care worker on a power trip or with an unkind streak, and life was miserable for you. It's still the case. When I was young I would allow people to do this to me and I just accepted it." --40, by George!, Hugh Wilson, 1992, pages 15 & 16.

(Feb 2021: "A future roadway in Vancouver will be called Jeanette Street in honour of Jeanette Andersen...The new street will be part of the George Pearson Centre redevelopment in Vancouver's south." Source and Source.)

According to a former resident who lived at GPC from 1970 to 1999: “Nancy, diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when she was a year-and-a-half old, first moved into [George] Pearson [Centre] when she was 18. Apart from the odd day trip and her weekly church attendance, she lived there continuously for the next 29 years. The ebb and flow of her life was defined by other people… ‘It was noisy there,’ she said. ‘There was no privacy and not much freedom.’…There were ‘BM [bowel movement] days’ and ‘bed times’. There were rules about wheel-chairs: you could only get into your wheel chair once a day. If you got tired or uncomfortable and asked to be put back to bed, that was it—you stayed on your back until the following day. Most residents got to take a bath once a week…While at Pearson, Nancy rarely went out. Apart from her weekly church trips, she usually stayed on hospital property. She couldn’t do her own shopping, so her mother brought her clothes. If her parents came from the interior, they needed to stay in a hotel.” –Doing Whatever It Takes: Profiles of Peer-Supported Transition from a Care Facility to the Community, 2003.

According to a former resident who live at GPC from 1977 to 1999: Barb Westfield was moved from Woodlands to the GPC in 1977. Barb was relieved to find her new location “a little bit easier ” but she still struggled with the powerlessness of not being able to make decisions for herself. Even though Barb was an adult with a functioning brain she was not involved in decisions regarding her care. Barb was limited to one bath a week regardless of how many times she asked for more than just that one. She was also put in bed by 6pm, way before the time she went to sleep. The biggest indignity was the fact that three times a week she had what was termed as “BM Days” which were the days when she was left in bed, all day, where she was expected to have her bowel movements. Even at Woodlands, where Barb hid in her room to keep from abuse, she was allowed to go on her own. Barb “never had any control over any decisions” and she was once again a prisoner within the medical system. (Barb Westfield interview 2010.) 

According to a person who lived in GPC for 12 days in 1991: “For that reason, Randy [Walter] entered Vancouver’s George Pearson Centre for a three-week stay in late August. He remained only 12 days. In a letter to [GPC], Evelyn Walter [Randy’s wife] writes:

‘The facilities looked terrific! Swimming pool, games room, large TV screen, computer room, a bulletin board full of activities. The visit to George Pearson erased any feeling of guilt about ‘sending him away.’  I took a well-adjusted, happy husband to a place where in two short weeks they traumatized him into a worthless-feeling, frustrated human being. He came home and cried in fear of what it would be like for him in the future if he could not speak out to communicate….  He did not dare complain while at George Pearson for fear that those who took care of him would make it worse. That’s an unspoken understanding all patients realize very soon…’

Staff shortages forced him to stay in bed each day until 1:30, and return to bed after dinner. Six times, Walter was placed on a commode chair visible to hallway passersby. Only twice did an attendant volunteer, without Walter’s having to ask, to draw a privacy curtain. Once, he was left on the commode for two hours, during which time the fire alarm rang – and no one came to get him. On two of three consecutive nights the same nurse was on duty, she was confused or forgot his medication…According to Randy Walter, ward staff ‘showed little or no regard’ for patients’ dignity, allowing call-buzzers to ring incessantly – at one count, 44 times over 4 1/2 minutes.”  –Vancouver Sun, November 13, 1991.

In 1992 Nancy Clay concluded after observing GPC: “The organizational learning espoused by B.C. Rehab’s [which ran GPC from 1984 to 2001] statement of planning beliefs and values and by the learning perspective, generally, assumes that employees have skills in strategic thinking. The development of these skills requires a climate which encourages individuals to think critically and retrospectively about the organization’s previously attempted behaviours and strategies. Traditionally George Pearson Centre’s organizational climate has not been conducive to the development of these skills…Examination of [GPC’s] established policies and procedures in concert with simple observation of the physical and social environment hints at a culture which supports a paternalistic, control orientation and resists attempts to deviate from the status quo…A number of [GPC’s] resident care policies and procedures reflect the medical model’s protective attitude—its need to control and make decisions for residents. One artifact which reflects this aspect of culture is the strong presence of medical personnel in the ward teams and the time-honoured practice of professionals planning for residents, rather than planning in equal partnership with residents…these examples in concert with numerous others may be indicative of a dominant culture explicitly opposed or passively resisting fundamental change.”  – Participation In and Employee Attitude Towards Organizational Change: a Case Study of Strategic Change at George Pearson Centre by Nancy Margaret Clay B.S.W. UBC June 1993, p113-115.

“Research indicates that placing elderly or disabled persons in an institution where they become passive recipients of care, often results in rapid mental and physical deterioration which may jeopardize quality of life.”–Vancouver Coastal Health, DESIGN GUIDELINES, Complex Residential Care Developments, page 11, June 6, 2007.

BS

On November 8, 2011, two VCH executives, Dr. David Ostrow, the President and CEO, and Mary Ackenhusen, one of the Health Authority’s three Chief Operating Officers, met with twenty-six residents of GPC. Some of them had lived in GPC for decades.

According to the minutes, at the beginning of the meeting, Ms. Ackenhusen said: “Something I’d like to start with, something that really David has brought to the organization in his leadership role, is something we talk about: people first. I know from your comments and knowing what goes on here, you might say we are not living that philosophy.”

Ms. Ackenhusen went on to say: “Although I’ve read a lot [about GPC] and heard a bit here and there and certainly have familiarity with issues here…a lot of what we’ll do today is just listening and trying to understand how we can start to make an impact on these very long standing issues. I’ve read the reports starting back in 2000, which highlights some of the issues, which I believe we’re going to talk about today, so we’ve gone a number of years and haven’t made the impact that you’d like to see.” 

There’s No Eden Alternative

The Eden Alternative philosophy was developed by Harvard-educated Dr. William Thomas. It is a way to make “long term care facilities” into genuine homes for their residents. One of the Ten Eden Principles is: “An Elder-centered community honors its Elders by de-emphasizing top-down bureaucratic authority, seeking instead to place the maximum possible decision-making authority into the hands of the Elders or into the hands of those closest to them.”

In 2003 VCH made a public commitment to make Pearson an Eden site. In November, 2010 the GPC Residents Council stated that the VCH 2003 commitment to make Pearson an Eden Alternative philosophy site had been broken. “The GPC Residents Council…believe[s] that the failure to achieve changes that advance the Eden philosophy at George Pearson Centre springs from a failure to adopt and apply an ethical framework for long term care.”

A year later, during the November 8, 2011 meeting, the residents expressed grave concerns, and provided specific examples. During the meeting one of the residents’ advocates stated, “Positive caring relationships between staff and residents are not the primary goal [of the management of GPC]. Residents are told they cannot refuse a staff member and still receive assistance—even if they feel that the staff member endangers their safety or they feel emotionally abused by that staff member. There are many staff members working here who are inappropriate for a community oriented environment, who have negative attitudes and insist that this is a hospital and not a resident’s home.  As far as we know, no matter how much residents complain, staff are never fired or moved from Pearson.” 

“I wouldn’t say no progress has been made on the Eden concept,” Ms. Ackenhusen replied. “But I would say the easy stuff has been done, the garden, the Envisioning Home exercise—so now we are at the hard part, which is the people part.”

The Envisioning Home “exercise” Ms. Ackenhusen referenced was research done in 2006-2007 by a program of the Disability Alliance BC (DABC) called the Community and Residents Mentor Association (CARMA). CARMA mentors residents of GPC who want to escape from the institution. The Envisioning Home researchers simply asked the residents what they wanted GPC to be—this in no way means that VCH put into action any of the Eden Principles.

The research, which was based on interviews with 46 of the then-120 GPC residents, discovered that: “Residents under­stood the need for a routine within GPC but many criticized the inflexibility of it. Residents consistently gave three examples in which the routine challenged the reality of GPC as home: being able to have a bath or shower more than once a week; being able to go back to bed for a rest and then get up again during the day; and having to remain in bed on days when they were to have a bowel routine.

“Residents wanted a greater degree of control over these aspects of their lives. They described these three things as being pretty basic and that they were really about having some control over your own life. They believed that it was not unreasonable to want to have a shower more than once a week, or if they were feeling like it, to go back to bed for a rest and to then get up again…Some residents did not feel able, physically or emotionally, to challenge staff to try and change things. They did not want to upset the status quo. A number of residents commented it was the ‘squeaky wheel gets the grease’–it was the most vocal residents who had their needs or issues ad­dressed. Residents also discussed their fear of negative conse­quences if they complained too much or made a fuss.” The Envisioning Home report can be read here

Even after the report was given to it in 2008, VCH asserted at its October 20, 2010 Open Board Forum: “We believe the care at Pearson is good.” Who made this assertion? Ms. Ackenhusen in response to a question asked by me.

Dr. Ostrow said during the November, 2011 meeting, “When Mary says we absolutely believe in the concept of people first—what we mean is that our first and foremost goal is to serve you and help you with your lives. But we recognize that we can’t do that unless the people who work for us are happy and fulfilled and trained appropriately and doing what is best for them. We all have experiences going into a store where you have a surly staff and miserable people working there and they don’t serve you well and they don’t serve themselves well.”

This is a false analogy. If you go to a store and get crappy service, you don’t go back. If you get crappy service at Pearson and survive, you get more of the same for the rest of your life.

Theft of GPC Residents’ Property: “We’ll have to be a little more vigilant”

From the minutes of the November 8, 2011 meeting: “I’ve been living [in GPC] about 4 years now. Before that I had a chance to live at GF Strong for awhile and also in the hospital. So I have some experiences to draw from. Coming to Pearson I encountered what I call a climate of impunity regarding incidences of theft that I heard were happening to the residents.

“Residents here experience thefts rather regularly. And the surprising thing to me was that they accepted it as a regular happening. I feel that this is because there are no consequences when things are stolen, and staff refers to it as having ‘gone missing’, or been ‘misplaced’.  So I say there’s a culture of impunity, because the perpetrators seem to know that regardless of what happens, the police never come around here to investigate any thefts. Most residents report that they need some staff assistance gaining access to their locked drawers. I wanted to bring this to your attention. When I did report a theft, the [Residential Care Coordinator] told me that nothing can be done, right off the bat. I was surprised. I had an item of value I left out overnight; it was gone in the morning. Well the other residents are in bed, so can’t you just look up who was working that night and ask them what they saw? What will VCH do to prevent thefts and compensate residents whose belongings are stolen?”

Dr. Ostrow: “That is quite shocking. I didn’t realize we had so much theft going on here. That is a crime, it’s not things going missing, it is theft. I don’t know what could be done in terms of having police involved, but that is not tolerable to have thefts in acute care or here. Thank you for telling me about it. When you talk about security of person and security of possessions, those are really pretty important things in any kind of a home setting. We’ll have to do something, I promise I’ll work with Mary to get something suitable done about this. You are right it isn’t just about the physical storage, it’s also an issue of attitude.”

Theft at GPC had also been the subject of news reports. For example, in March, 2009 the Province newspaper and CTV news reported about a theft of a First Nations mask from above the bed of a sleeping resident on Ward 2.

According to the March 17, 2009 Province report: [VCH] spokesman Gavin Wilson said the [George Pearson] centre, which is home to people with severe disabilities, may have had “petty thefts” over the years, but nothing of this scale, and he admits “we’ll have to be a little more vigilant…. We’re [VCH] certainly going to review policies and procedures,” Wilson said.

There “may” have been “petty” thefts over the years? During my twenty-one months (2005-2007) living in GPC I was repeatedly warned by staff, advocates, residents and residents’ families to beware of theft. On behalf of a GPC resident I reported to the Vancouver Police Department in 2009 the theft of money, a CD and chocolate from the resident’s wheel-chair when it was in the over-night battery-charging room of Ward 4. And in 2010 I met a woman with Locked-In Syndrome on Ward 2 who has had two IPods stolen from her, and how in desperation to prevent the theft of a third IPod, her husband chained it to her bedside counter.

In June 2010 VCH published the George Pearson Centre Resident and Family Handbook, page 8 of which stated: “While we make every effort to assist you in caring for your belongings, [VCH] cannot assume responsibility for missing valuables. Although each room has a bedside table with a drawer that locks, we recommend that items of monetary or sentimental value be left in safekeeping with your family or in a safety deposit box.” The 2016 updated George Pearson Resident and Family Handbook can be read here

From the minutes of the November 8, 2011 meeting, Ms. Ackenhusen said: “It [VCH employees stealing the property of Pearson residents] is really representative that the community has broken down. It should be the exception in a well run community, and you [a Pearson resident] represent that it is not the exception. It’s really one of those indicators, just like sick time. When we look at whether staff are happy and engaged in workplace, we look at sick time and it usually correlates with how well-valued staff feel and how happy they are in their jobs. I’d say theft is probably another indicator that if people are valued and respect each other then theft should be few and far between and not on an ongoing basis. So it’s another indicator we have work to do.”

In a Febuary 26, 2012 News 1130 report about GPC, “Claims of ongoing theft at a local facility”, Dr. Ostrow admitted: "Ostrow says theft is an issue at every one of Vancouver Coastal’s long-term care organizations."

VCH’s Best 2001-2012

At the beginning of the November 8, 2011 meeting Ms. Ackenhusen asserted, “We [VCH] are doing our best.” What is VCH’s best?

1. "The health authority’s president, David Ostrow, says Pearson was never meant to handle the complex care requirements of those now living there." --February 26, 2012 News 1130 report
2. Provides GPC residents three meals a day/365 days a year.
3. Provides GPC residents shelter.
4. Provides pretty good Christmas parties and summer BBQs.
5. Gives GPC residents at least one bed bath per day/365 days a year.
6. Breaking its commitment to make Pearson an Eden site.
7. GPC residents get a shower only once a week.
8. No GPC resident has their own bathroom.
9. Staff decide what GPC residents’ bowel routines will be.
10. Most GPC residents have one to three roommates; there is very little privacy.
11. GPC residents cannot get insurance against theft. Insurance companies say there is so much theft in long-term care facilities they won’t insure residents. VCH refuses to take responsibility for residents’ property which is stolen. Theft of residents’ property is widespread. (The GPC Residents Council Chair of the November 8, 2011 meeting stated theft was an “epidemic.”)
12. GPC residents are exposed to death or impairment from super bugs and medical error and other dangers related to the high density population, such as influenza.
13. GPC residents have no choice which staff provides them personal care, even if they feel the staff in question are dangerous.
14. GPC residents are allowed out of bed only once a day. If they go back to bed for whatever reason, staff will not get them up again from bed that until the next day.
15. GPC residents lose their civil right against unreasonable search and seizure because Pearson is the property of VCH. Residents’ rooms and property (but not their bodies) can be searched at the discretion of GPC managers by the private security guards on contract with VCH.
16. GPC residents’ wheel-chairs, even if they own them, can be taken away and adjusted without their consent at the discretion of Pearson’s Occupational Therapists.
17. GPC residents can be moved without their consent from their rooms to other rooms at VCH's discretion.
18. GPC residents in effect lose their General Practitioners because each ward has an attending physician. A resident’s own GP will not be given admitting privileges to GPC.
19. GPC residents are afraid to complain about the quality of care because of concerns about retaliation from management and staff on whom residents are dependent for every daily need.
20. This video of some GPC residents posted on YouTube April 13, 2011.
21. An investigation by the Government of BC dated December 2011 concluded that slightly over 50% of the residents in BC’s LTC facilities were on anti-psychotics. The Government of BC stated in this report that it was unable to determine the extent to which front-line staff in nursing homes meet their legal obligation to get informed consent from residents or the residents’ legally-recognized medical decision makers. Were LTC front-line staff and doctors obeying the informed consent laws? The Government of BC didn't know.
22. The admission on March 23, 2012 by GPC manager Romilda Ang that she knew the then GPC residents did not feel safe living in GPC, that the residents were afraid of "reprisal" if they complained and that the residents were not in control of their care decisions. (See next section of the this essay for the source of this statement.)
23. Jest For Joy.
24. "Anna Marie D’Angelo, senior media relations officer at Vancouver Coastal Health, said the health authority recognizes the facility [George Pearson Centre] is not meeting the needs of patients and should be replaced…"--May 17, 2012 Vancouver Courier.
25. ““The frequency of resident baths or showers is part of individual resident care plans. Paul is correct that some shower weekly; however all residents have a basin bath at least daily, and many shower with the swim program during the week. The minimum is one a week; at times when residents have skin integrity issues and/or sweat a lot, they would be provided with more showers. When a resident requests more than one shower/bath, it is considered and every attempt to incorporate it into the daily activities of the care providers is made...Abuse of any kind is not tolerated and those who live and work in Vancouver Coastal Health are guided by the organization’s Respectful Workplace policy. If abuse is identified, investigations are conducted and if appropriate, discipline follows. Residents are not informed of confidential details of this process but are aware an investigation is underway. There is a whistleblower policy in place; and residents, families and staff are encouraged to speak up about anything that concerns them regarding quality of care...Complaints are welcomed by the Manager at any time and residents are free to discuss issues with the Manager. Fear of reprisals is not tolerated. Since 2010 we also have the Patient Care Quality Office, which is independent of the health authority, and residents can contact that office for an independent review of their complaint about care if they are unsatisfied with how VCH has handled it.” --Anna Marie D’Angelo, senior media relations officer at Vancouver Coastal Health, October 26, 2012 email to The Tyee. (Ms. D'Angelo is wrong. VCH's Patient Care Quality Office is not "independent of the health authority". Perhaps she meant the Patient Care Quality Review Boards.)
26. “The George Pearson Centre facility is an outdated institutional building. The physical facility’s infrastructure is aging and some mechanical and electrical systems cannot be upgraded to provide needed capacity. The ward-style accommodation does not provide appropriate privacy or independence for the residents who currently reside there.”--Pearson Dogwood Redevelopment Report, Lower Mainland Facilities Management, January 2013.

"We will know we have been successful when..."

On May 23, 2012 Romilda Ang, the manager of GPC, gave a presentation to VCH's Vancouver Integrated Operations Forum, about VCH's plan to make GPC a better place for its residents. I don't know what Ms. Ang said at this presentation but I do have a copy of her Power Point. From this we learn how VCH thinks it will know if their plan was successful. The plan will be successful if, among other things:

1. "Residents feel safe living at GPC." (page 35)
2. "Residents have input and control over their care decisions." (page 35)
3. "Residents feel they can raise concerns without reprisal" (page 36)

This is an admission by Ms. Ang that at least in 2012 she knew the then GPC residents did not feel safe living in GPC, the residents were afraid of "reprisal" if they complained and the residents were not in control of their care decisions.

VCH's Plan To Improve GPC Totally Fails

1. VCH CEO Dr. David Ostrow February 13, 2013 public remarks about VCH's LTC facilities, including GPC.
2. Christine Gordon, the head of the CARMA program (see above) states on CBC's Sunday Edition that it has failed to change the "culture" of GPC. Listen here at 16:18. --Apr 14, 2013
3. According to a statement that used to be on the GPC Residents' website: "The building is old and one problem crops up after another. Residents share bedrooms and bathrooms and few get any privacy — imagine having 30 roommates! It’s designed and run like a hospital — acute care style…which as you can imagine doesn’t merge well with basic human desires for independence, privacy and home.” –April 19, 2013.
4. Hope is Not a Plan
5. Dr. David Ostrow's February 26, 2014 speech. 
6. May 2014 Courage To Come Back Award recipient Paul Caune.
7. “Ward 3 – talked about BM days and how residents are sometimes staying in bed all day because it is BM day...Site-wide news: A new clinical nurse specialist has been hired. She is going around to the different wards and observing current practice. One of her priorities is to look at bowel routines to see if they can be done differently so residents can get up that day.” GPC Resident Council Meeting Minutes; Nov. 18, 2014; 11 GPC Residents present; page 3. (My ellipsis.)
8. “Bowel Routines: This has been an ongoing concern that residents stay in bed all day on BM day. We wanted to increase the ability of the resident to be up on BM days if he or she wants to. It’s been one way for so long but standards have changed and there is little reason for residents to be in bed all day. Pearson hired Gurinder to examine how we do things and recommend a plan to improve the methods, which is in progress of being implemented on Ward 3...Ward 3 has been monitoring their solutions with good results. They have been the pilot ward for improving the BM routine so residents can get up - it’s been challenging but the results are that more residents are up on their BM day.” GPC Resident Council Meeting Minutes; May 12, 2015; 14 GPC Residents present; pages 2-3. (My ellipsis.)
9. “For residents living in a care facility, there are barriers to improved quality of life. Long waits for private rooms, power chairs, communication devices, as well as insufficient staff - are all recurring issues.” GPC Resident Council Meeting Minutes; Oct. 13, 2015; page 2.
10. "Bob Chapman is the director of residential care at Vancouver Coastal Health. He says residents do have recourse if they believe they have experienced abuse...He says they can speak to staff, the manager, the province's patient care quality offices, the licensing body, various professional colleges, the ombudsperson, or pursue a human rights complaint...Chapman said. "We do our very best to accommodate personal needs."--On The Coast · CBC News · Posted: Oct 14, 2015. [Please note: on December 1, 2020, the Acting CEO and the Board Chair of VCH admitted that there was widespread discrimination against Indigenous people within VCH: "The report's first finding bears repeating – Widespread Indigenous-specific stereotyping, racism and discrimination exist in the B.C. health-care system. To the generations of Indigenous peoples who have lived these experiences, and those who continue to face harm, we apologize for our actions and our inaction in righting wrongs. To health authority Indigenous employees and physicians, we apologize to you as well for the impacts you have experienced." This means the "recourse" Chapman referred to above didn't exist for many Indigenous people using the services of the organization he works for. See here and here. )
11. A BC Seniors Advocate report in 2016 report revealed that during 2014-2015 49% of the residents of GPC had “Taken antipsychotics without a diagnosis of psychosis".
12. “MICE AT PEARSON: Resident asks if anyone else has seen mice? Yes, many residents report seeing mice and their droppings. [GPC manager] says that we are looking at the gaps in the building to limit their opportunities to come into the building.” GPC Resident Council Meeting Minutes; Feb. 9, 2016; 20 GPC residents present; page 2.
13. “Residents share their stories of mice running through their rooms.” GPC Resident Council Meeting Minutes; April 12, 2016; 18 GPC residents present; page 2.
14. "Rats are still a problem." GPC Resident Council Meeting Minutes; Sept. 13, 2016; page 2.
15. VCH's George Pearson Centre Resident and Family Handbook (November 2016) states on page 16: "Use, sale and purchase of illicit drugs are not permitted on the property of George Pearson Centre. There is an exemption for those who have obtained Authorization to Possess Marijuana for Medical Purposes."
16. As of January 2017 36.8% of GPC residents had "Taken antipsychotics without a diagnosis of psychosis". Source: here page 180.
17. "The George Pearson Centre in Vancouver’s Marpole had the highest number of direct-care hours per patient per day [in BC LTC], at 5.72..." --Vancouver Sun, Jan. 26, 2017.
18. "Every few weeks [former BC Premier/federal Liberal cabinet minister Ujjal] Dosanjh will drop by the GPC and pay Sara a visit. However, because of privacy restrictions at the centre, residents are unable to use the internet. In the eyes of Dosanjh, this is very limiting for his cousin and is unfortunate because Sara still has a lot of stories that have not yet been published." --Former Filmmaker and Transit Operator in South Vancouver Battles Pakinson's Disease by Chris Thoroski, March 22, 2017.
19. GPC had 5.50 Total direct care hours (hours per resident per day) during 2019/20. --BC Seniors Advocate, Dec. 2020.
20. According to the September 10, 2019 GPC Resident Council Meeting Minutes: "Late night use of Activity Wing: Ro [GPC manager] says we are getting to the point where we have to close it. There continues to be complaints about finding clothes/food/urine/blood/drugs paraphernalia/beer cans or bottles/crack/cocaine/marijuana residue."
21. A BC Seniors Advocate report revealed that in 2019 24.7% of the residents of GPC had “Taken antipsychotics without a diagnosis of psychosis “
22. "Police were called to Pearson 18 times in 2019"--Daphne Bramham, May 30, 2020, Vancouver Sun.
23. According to the minutes of the February 11, 2020 meeting of the GPC Residents Council: "COMMON SPACES: Ron and Ro [the GPC manager] report. Previously we have discussed the issues with misuse of the Activity Wing, now we are adding the Canteen to that discussion. There has been issue of illegal drug use being done openly in the Canteen, and other areas. It has been impacting the rest of the Pearson community. Other residents do not feel comfortable being around that. It has also been impacting staff. The Activity Wing has been better since December. The police did come and arrest one of the dealers. But it seems that the activity has shifted to the Canteen. Residents have also witnessed dealing and illegal drug use on the Pool Deck, Activity Wing and Activity Wing kitchen. Resident expresses concern over fire hazard. A lot of residents don’t go down to the Canteen or Activity Wing anymore because the drug users bully us, they surround you to kick us out. This happens primarily on weekends and evenings. Security cannot do anything, they can only ask them to move along and they are verbally abused. There are no consequences for this behavior, so it is getting worse. Ro and Joanne did meet with the users and asked them to keep the dealing and using outside GPC but that did not happen. "
24. A public health emergency was declared in BC on March 17, 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors banned from GPC,
25. "Important Health and Safety Information for George Pearson Members. In recent months, we've heard a number of safety concerns from BCGEU members working at George Pearson Centre. Some of these issues are new and related to COVID-19. We've also heard there are other serious and longstanding OHS concerns that need to be addressed. In response, we met with your managers at the end of May to discuss your health and safety. We asked hard questions, and pushed them to resolve ongoing workplace violence and workload-related safety issues." --BCGEU email dated July 2, 2020. 
26. VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — An ex-RCMP officer and resident at a Vancouver long term care facility for adults with complex needs says caring for people with drug addictions and those with severe physical disabilities in the same space isn’t working. Sixty-eight-year-old William (Bill) Salhany alleges he, other residents, and staff at George Pearson Centre in Vancouver have been bullied by residents who are dealing with drug addictions since long before the pandemic. “It’s really tough being in a wheelchair let alone being bullied. It’s a tough job we are just trying to survive and when you have somebody bullying you it really, really can put you into a state where you can have medical problems sneak up on you,” he says. “These guys come in, they bully you out of the place … They’ve taken over what we call an activity center: everybody that doesn’t do drugs stays away from the canteen because we know they do the drugs down there, too,” he says.
27. "Too often, they’ve found Wegiel’s call bell not by his head where he can tap it, but by his fingers that he can no longer move. He has suffered burns on his arms from a faulty wire. They’ve found him in pain because he’s not been properly positioned in bed or in his chair...Since the lockdown, the monitoring camera that the centre allowed them to mount on the wall in her brother’s room is frequently covered with towels. "--Vancouver Sun, June 4, 2020
28. Stop the Bad Care of Eric Wegiel at George Pearson Centre change.org petition.
29. "VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Mushy bananas and mystery meat are unacceptable items to be serving to our most vulnerable people in care, says a family member raising concerns over the food and care at [GPC]."
30. This CITYTV News report.
31. This blog on the Pearson Residents' website.
32. VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Speaking out is not an easy choice to make, especially for vulnerable people in care, but a George Pearson Centre (GPC) resident’s voice has made all the difference at one Vancouver facility. Just one day after NEWS 1130 broke a story about rotten bananas and near-empty plates being served to residents at the long term care centre, the kitchen team reached out to make amends...“They were 100 per cent in agreement that the food my dad had taken pictures of was completely unacceptable and that they do not stand behind that at all. They talked at length with my mom about some of the things we’ve witnessed and she promised change,” says Eliason.
33. Listen, Mark is Calling from the Black Hole

Agnes Cayer's Story About Her Brother Irek Wegiel

"ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) is a disease my family was introduced to for the first time 18 years ago when my brother Irek’s (pronounced Er-ick) breathing was compromised and he was rushed by ambulance to Vancouver General Hospital (VGH).

At just 29 years old, my brother was in a trauma room unable to breathe on his own. Irek was a young father, husband, son and my best friend. Our family was facing the toughest decision we would ever make as new immigrants to Canada, a country my dad dreamed of living in my whole childhood in Poland - the decision to put Irek on a ventilator.

The diagnosis was heartbreaking, truly unimaginable. It’s true when people say “it feels foggy”.

Later that week, Irek was admitted to the 12th floor of VGH, and put on a ventilator. Together we were learning what ALS was, and the gruesome outcomes of this relentless disease. After many nights spent by his bedside, my brother was told he would be transferred to George Pearson Centre (GPC), where he would be cared for. It was then he also learned, he would never return home to his family.

Irek was very active, he especially enjoyed skiing. A dedicated family man, with one young daughter who was 6 years old at the time he was admitted to his new home. It wasn’t long before she learned how to do Oral Suctioning, helping to improve her dad’s oxygen intake and keep his airways clear on her visits. The disease eventually took a toll on his marriage, which in recent years ended in divorce. Irek’s ex-wife continues to be involved with his well-being, and will always be a part of our supportive family. In his role of Site Supervisor for Westminister Hall he was instrumental in disarming, immobilizing and arresting an individual who stabbed a young girl, he was nominated to receive a police commendation.

Irek’s early symptoms included limping. This was followed by cold and flu symptoms. He started to experience muscle weakness and his wife bravely helped to carry him upstairs. Eventually his breathing was compromised, an ambulance had to be called and life would be forever changed from that night onwards.

We had to stay strong for Irek. It was an extremely overwhelming time for us, as we had so many questions. What is ALS? How does one get it? Is there a cure? Long-Term care? When you are young and healthy, words like that don’t even cross your mind.

Since 2007, my brother has been a resident of GPC.

We were not familiar with GPC and had never been there prior to my brother being admitted. It was a very vulnerable time for our family, we were not presented with options, it was all happening very quickly and we were forced to have faith in the healthcare system to look after him.

The real struggle began 2 years after he was admitted, when my brother no longer could express himself verbally. Now unable to voice his needs, wants, or concerns; he was given a call bell. It was to serve as a means of communication, so he could signal when he needed help, in case of an emergency situation, or anything else he may require.

We quickly became aware of the neglect. Although he was living in this care facility, as a family we stepped up to actively look after my brother’s daily needs. My parents soon learned what was required and realized that if we did not tend to him ourselves, things would not get done and we knew he would be regularly overlooked

Over the years we have painfully watched my brother’s care decline, it is beyond neglectful and not acceptable. Eric has often been left kinked and bent in uncomfortable positions. Due to the progressive, debilitating nature of ALS, he cannot reposition himself to achieve the smallest amount of relief.

His ONLY lifeline, the call bell, has been repeatedly removed, or placed too far away from him to use.

I recall one occasion when we found my brother suffering the indignity of laying in his own urine from his overfilled catheter, and we had to clean him up ourselves. You can’t help but question how often this might have occurred.

Our requests for better care, have been regularly ignored. It is an on-going struggle, but we will not be defeated. It’s been suggested by the facility, that we move him to a new care home. That would be an enormous stress for an already very vulnerable man. Our family, like many are not in a financial position to pay for private care, particularly in a situation like Irek’s where Long-Term care could be required for many decades.

My brother-the once independent man, who never asked for help, is now completely dependent. Meanwhile, arguably the cruelest part of ALS is his intact mind, able to fully experience every thought, emotion, and physical sensation of every waking moment."

Minister of Health Adrian Dix Makes An Offer

On July 24, 2020, BC Liberal Vancouver-Langara MLA Michael Lee asked BC NDP Minister of Health Adrian Dix questions about GPC during the Health Estimates (see here pages 317-320). The residents of GPC live in MLA Lee's riding. Some of the families of GPC residents had convinced Mr. Lee to bring their complaints to the attention of the Minister:

"M. Lee: What we've seen, of course — certainly even in COVID-19 situations here and the challenge that it is — is that there have been increasing concerns, raised by residents with disabilities and their families, about the safety and what has been seen to be repeated uses of bullying and conflict with other residents who have substance abuse challenges. This problem has continued to be very difficult for residents with disabilities who have had — of course, for good reason, for their own public health and those of the staff there as well — restrictions on their own freedoms, with a no-visitor policy and other safety precautions that they understood and complied with, while I see, potentially, those who are addicted to drugs not adhering to the same social distancing for their own public health and that of the staff there as well — restrictions on their own freedoms, with a no-visitor policy and other safety precautions that they understood and complied with, while they see, potentially, those who are addicted to drugs not adhering to the same social distancing policies. They continue to see visitors frequent the centre.

We've seen, more recently, incidents that I've become aware of, where one resident was smoking narcotics and set off the fire alarm. On another occasion, police had to attend at the centre. Residents have been found smoking crack and other illicit narcotics on the patio outside the facility, with the smoke from these illicit narcotics entering the rooms of residents when their windows are open. Of course, I know the minister appreciates that this would put the health of the residents in danger."

In his fifteen minute conversation with MLA Lee the Minister of Health stated:

1. "I know George Person quite well, from people I used to visit, who, unfortunately, are no longer with us. But I know the centre and admire the people working there very much."
2. "This is an important care home with very significant challenges, high levels of staffing and highly trained staff, but also, just people with real challenges who need our support. I'll just endeavour to do that."
3. "I would endeavour to do, should the member wish it, is to engage with family members at George Pearson, perhaps with him...We can have a Zoom meeting and engage with the families to hear their complaints directly, and I'll have people involved from Vancouver Coastal Health there at that time, and we can address what are operational issues, but real issues for families...What we'll try and do is get together in the next week or so and have Vancouver Coastal Health directed so people can hear each other. If there are issues that we can deal with immediately or make better, then we can work on that, which I'm happy and committed to do. I think we'll easily be able to find time in one of those two weeks."

The families accepted the Minister's offer and met with him on August 21, 2020.

Karen Salhany's August 21 statement to Minister Dix

Before I begin, I need to say that due to time restraint we are not able to cover all the issues today.

I would like to address commingling in Care Homes. I need to state very firmly that commingling in Care Homes needs to be addressed and changed. The vulnerable are not just the drug addicted, the vulnerable include people like my husband who are disabled and need to be cared for and feel safe in their home, in their room - which is sometimes a shared space with another resident with drug addiction issues. How is that a safe environment for the other resident? Drug addicted people are unpredictable in their actions. They can be abusive and dangerous. There have been and still are issues with the drug addicted bullying the other residents at George Pearson Centre and the police have had to attend.

The complex needs of the drug addicted in the facility are concerning. The care aides should not have to come to work dreading facing the issues/anger/volatile nature of the drug addicted and be concerned for their own safety and well being. That is why I implore you to work on a solution for the good of all care facilities, not just George Pearson, not just in BC but hopefully across Canada to implement change and have the drug addicted placed in their own facilities with their own resources to better their lives.

The George Pearson Centre RESIDENT AND FAMILY HANDBOOK states:

Use, sale and purchase of illicit drugs are not permitted on the property of George Pearson Centre.

And yet the drug addicted residents are encouraged in their behaviour. They do drugs and have drug dealers coming to the property.

I also want to point out that the George Pearson Centre WEBSITE POLICY is:

NO SMOKING.

There are signs on the East side of Ward 4 stating, “No Smoking - No Vaping” and yet on that same patio on the West Side of Ward 4 they recently extended the patio and built a Smoking Tent for the residents who are drug addicted so that they can continue to smoke and use crack-pipes. WorkSafe BC was also involved in the location of the tent. Why are these residents allowed?

The smoke/fumes from smoking marijuana and crack pipes wafts across the patio and into other residents rooms. Where are the rights of the other residents?

WHY ARE THE POLICIES NOT BEING FOLLOWED?

THERE SHOULD BE ZERO TOLERANCE!

Now I would like to address visitor restrictions. COVID may extend for another year. The residents in Care Homes should not be expected to live in lock-down during this whole pandemic. The isolation is not good for anyone and definitely not good for residents who rely on their families for additional care, support and love.

Why is it that all employees can go home after work - be with their families - do what they want when they go home? In Phase 3 the social circle has been expanded for the general public - so who knows how big the social circle is for all these caregivers. Yet, the residents cannot go around the block by themselves, or with a family member wearing PPE. What is the difference between the Care Aides wearing PPE and a family member wearing PPE? To me the risk is the same.

I would also like to add that the care aides have to do a lot of laborious work dealing with the residents at George Pearson Centre. A lot of the residents at George Pearson have complex needs. I feel the amount of hours allotted to care for the residents is not enough. I feel that the care aides are not given adequate time for each individual, that they are having to rush the care. It is important that they be diligent in caring for any open sores/rashes, etc. There have been times when my husband’s catheter line has been crimped, catheter bag or line dragging the floor, his feet not secured to the foot rest, and even times that my husband’s top has been put on backwards.

Adequate staff/hours to care for the residents in other areas should also be looked at. A lot of the residents are in George Pearson Centre for the rest of their life. It is more like “Warehousing” the patients and being forgotten. Care Homes should be looked at to have better programs, rehabilitation (NOT drug rehabilitation - that should be its own facility), therapy, specifically set up like GF Strong. More integration into society - more outings. Give these residents a better quality of life.

I would also like to state that originally it was my husband’s and my wish that he come home. At present the Health Care System does not make is possible because of restraints in number of care hours allotted as well as reliability issues. Capping out at 4 hours of care divided in the day is not adequate care for a quadriplegic. Therefore, incurred expenses over and above what is provided would be a financial strain. For instance, hiring additional care and paying for additional resources such as Physiotherapists and Occupational therapists. Therefore, we have no choice to keep my husband in Long-Term Care.

Do you realize how heartbreaking that is? To come to the realization that you will never be together again! That you will be divided and alone for the rest of your life and at the mercy of the current Health Care System.

--statement of Karen Salhany, wife of GPC resident Bill Salhany

Leigh Eliason's August 21 statement to Minister Dix

Anyway, I will share my own personal statement that I made to Minister Adrian Dix at our meeting.

This has been an extraordinarily difficult time in our lives. I do not wish anyone else to ever experience the things we have experienced. And so, I will continue to speak up loud and share our experiences, no matter how painful they may be. In this way, I hope we can affect some necessary changes in the near future.

As we have gone along on this journey, more voices have begun to speak up. And that is the purpose. One voice becomes many and soon, the collective cry is so loud that it cannot be ignored any longer. And so, you can help by bearing witness to my words and hearing our experiences. It helps, more than you know.

As always, I thank everyone for their ongoing love and support. Love is the fuel that keeps me going. ❤

Here is my statement:

"My Dad was a vibrant man before he was injured. A husband, a father, a grandfather. An RCMP officer. A hero.

My Daddy.

After he was injured by routine triple heart bypass surgery and after months of rehab at GF Strong, the discussion turned to his eventual homecoming.

It was not possible due to major cracks in the system. Lack of funding. Lack of resources.

My father was going to have to go into long-term care.

As a family, we researched to try and have my Dad live in the best place that was equipped to handle a quadriplegic. George Pearson Centre seemed like the place. We had no idea that what waited for my Dad and for our family was a nightmare.

What has followed since April 2019 has been horrific.

It eventually became evident that active drug users are housed at GPC, my Dad's roommate included. My father was placed at great risk. After enduring a day of grueling challenges as a quadriplegic, he would go to bed for some much needed rest only to be woken up in the middle of the night by his roommate, who was drunk and high. He would cause a scene. Yelling and screaming. Threatening. When he did not get his way, he would retaliate such as dumping a jug of his urine on the floor. My Dad was exhausted after countless nights enduring this. When he would complain that he could not sleep, they told my Dad that the only thing they could do was move him in his bed to the dining room.

And so, my quadriplegic father slept in the dining room of GPC on many nights, without his very necessary CPAP machine which could not go with him.

When my Dad would speak up about how terrible his circumstances were, the personal threats from his roommate began. My father had to call the police, from inside his care home.

When I would hear from my Dad that his roommate threatened to pour boiling hot coffee on him...and that the same resident who made these threats was NOT removed from the facility...

I don't have no words to express my fear and frustration. The lengths my mother had to go through in order to get this resident moved merely to another room is astounding.

It doesn't end there because approximately a dozen other addicted individuals also resided at GPC, threatening and bullying residents and care aides alike, creating a constant hostile environment.

The multitude of indignities committed upon my father are vast. I assure you, he is treated less than human every single day. But, one such instance is when he developed a foot infection. GPC unsuccessfully "treated" this infection. Eventually it spread so far up his legs and became so widespread that when I visited him he had visible "goo" attaching his toes together as if his feet were webbed. It took a LOT of complaints from my Dad and my family to get my Dad seen by a doctor. And when they did send someone...he was apparently well-known on the ward as "The Butcher."

After he was "treated" by The Butcher, his feet were massacred. Large chunks of nail were left hanging, jagged and raw. The doctor cut him up as if he were a piece of meat- the carnage evident in the form of blood left smeared all over his toes.

My Dad developed bedsores last summer. The nursing staff and wound care nurses are inconsistent in their treatments and so it fell upon my mother to keep an eye out to ensure they didn't worsen. She was able to advocate for constant, proper treatment of his bedsores until Covid19 locked her out.

My Dad's bedsores have since worsened to the point that he couldn't even get into his wheelchair anymore and had to be confined to bed. My Mom had to jump through hoops to get a doctor to see him...all from a distance because of the pandemic. My Dad has also contracted several infections and advocating for him is even more challenging than ever thanks to Covid19.

I am terrified that he will not survive this pandemic and I do not believe the virus itself will kill him. The negligence he is experiencing now, leading to life-threatening infections along with isolation, powerlessness and fear WILL.

When I see my loving father being treated so badly, when I hear his voice on the phone begging for help, begging for reprieve or ultimately, begging for death... when I hear my mother cry because she is being kept from her husband while being forced to witness his torture...it breaks me.

I am begging that something be done to improve my father's quality of life. I implore you, minister, to allow us to have proper visitation with my father as we did before, while wearing PPE. In this way, we may be able to fill the gaps in his care as we did before the pandemic. We do not want to watch him wither away from neglect and poor care while we stand on the outside- powerless. My Dad deserves more than to be stuck inside of George Pearson Centre which has now become George Prison Centre."

-Leigh Eliason, daughter of GPC resident Bill Salhany.

Irek Wegiel and Agnes Cayer's August 21 statement to Minister Dix

I TALKED WITH MY BROTHER, IREK, A FEW DAYS AGO. THIS IS IREK'S MESSAGE FOR YOU MINISTER:

“GPC STAFF HAVE HARMED ME. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES:

• A FAULTY WIRE BURNED ME FOR HOURS, BEFORE GPC STAFF NOTICED.
• MANY TIMES, GPC STAFF HAVE LEFT MY CALL BELL OUT OF MY REACH.
• MANY TIMES, GPC STAFF HAVE LEFT ME IN PAINFUL POSITIONS ON MY BED, OR MY WHEELCHAIR.
• GPC STAFF HAVE INCORRECTLY PUT MY URINE DRAINAGE TUBE INTO ME, CAUSING ME GREAT PAIN.

THIS HARM WAS DONE BEFORE COVID.

MY FAMILY HAVE COMPLAINED, MANY TIMES, ABOUT THIS HARM, BUT GPC STAFF KEEP HARMING ME.

2 YEARS AGO, MY FAMILY, WITH GPC'S CONSENT, PUT A CAMERA IN MY ROOM.

THIS CAMERA ALLOWS MY PARENTS TO MAKE SURE I'M SAFE.

SINCE MARCH 17, GPC STAFF HAVE CONSTANTLY COVERED OR MOVED MY CAMERA.

MY FAMILY'S MANY REQUESTS THAT GPC STAFF STOP MOVING, OR COVERING, MY CAMERA, WERE IGNORED BY THE MANAGER OF GPC.

SINCE MARCH 17, I'VE BEEN ADMITTED TO VGH 3 TIMES, BECAUSE OF INFECTIONS.

I WANT GPC STAFF TO STOP HARMING ME.

I WANT A WRITTEN COMMITMENT FROM VCH'S CEO THAT:

1. THE CAMERA IN MY ROOM WILL NOT BE MOVED OR COVERED BY GPC STAFF;
2. GPC STAFF WILL MAKE SURE MY CALL BELL IS ALWAYS WITHIN REACH OF MY HEAD;
3. IF GPC STAFF MOVE OR COVER UP THE CAMERA IN MY ROOM, OR FAIL TO MAKE SURE MY CALL BELL IS ALWAYS WITHIN REACH OF MY HEAD, THEY WILL BE DISCIPLINED BY VCH.”

YOU'VE HEARD IREK'S WORDS. NOW I WILL TELL YOU HOW MY FAMILY FEELS.

VCH FAILED MY BROTHER.

WE'VE SEEN GPC STAFF REPEATEDLY LEAVE MY BROTHER, MY BEST FRIEND, IN PAINFUL POSITIONS IN HIS BED.

WE'VE SEEN IREK COVERED IN BLOOD BECAUSE GPC STAFFPUT A CATHETER INTO IREK INCORRECTLY.

WE'VE WATCHED IREK SUFFERING FROM PAINFUL, PREVETABLE INFECTIONS AND BURNS.

ONCE THE STAFF LEFT IREK NUDE IN HIS WHEELCHAIR.

WHEN MY PARENTS VISITED IREK, BEFORE MARCH 17, THEY SUCTIONED HIS LUNGS, AND EMPTIED HIS URINE BAG.

IF THEY DIDN'T DO THIS, IT DIDN'T GET DONE.

IREK DESERVES BETTER.

I WANT HIM TO STOP FEELING ANXIOUS EVERYTIME WE LEAVE HIM.

I WANT MY BROTHER TO NOT BE AFRAID.

Glen Tig

"Following are my notes for the [August 21, 2020] meeting with Adrian Dix last month. Unfortunately my brother was critical in the hospital and my concerns were given to the Minister by Michael Lee, MLA instead of me.

I am the older sister of Glen Tig who is a resident on ward 2 at George Pearson. My home is in North Carolina but I’m here in Vancouver as caregiver to my Brother. Before COVID-19 I spent approx. 7 hours per day at GPC caring for Glen in things I could do. He is afflicted with Multi Systems Atrophy and will not get better.

Like others at Pearson he is an intelligent man who is trapped in a failing body. Glen is bedridden except when he’s put into his wheelchair. He can barely move his arms from elbow down sometimes and he can barely turn his head to the sides. He doesn’t watch tv, he is losing the ability to use his ipad and iphone. Most often he cannot push the nurses call when he needs something. He cannot move to adjust himself in bed or in the chair. He can rarely suction liquids from just inside his mouth. His ability to communicate is failing and it’s hard to understand him. But he has those needs that are not met.

Glen is locked inside his body as are others on Ward 2....and he’s not given the care he needs.

The reason given for the lack of care? It’s always that they are short of staff. They have to hurry to the next resident. They can’t spend but so much time with him. Even when all assigned nurses are present, they are short of what they need.

When we have had complaints with management at Pearson we are also told the same basic thing. No funding for more. We do what we can. Short of Staff. We just can’t do it all. Management has not been a help to our loved ones.

Just this week when I got to Pearson for my allotted time with Glen he was still in bed. Fearing something had happened to him or his aspiration pneumonia had returned I discovered why he was still in bed. They were short staffed so no one on this ward was put up in their wheelchairs for the entire day.

I always check his feeding tube and foley catheter when I get there so I can assure myself everything is okay. He had pillows tucked around him to keep him from sliding in bed....when I removed the pillow, I found it to be wet. It didn’t take but a second to see that the pad under him was nasty...the sheet under him was not only wet but nasty with what looked like b. m. waste. I called nurses and let them know this was not appropriate, regardless of how shorthanded they were. They agreed to change the bed then. While putting the sheet on under him, the smell of poop was quite obvious and they discovered he had a “large” b.m. in his pad. How long had he been laying in this?

Why should he have to be in that situation because they were short of staff? It is NOT uncommon for them to be short. Recently there were at least two days in a row they were short...one day of the 7 nurses supposed to be on duty, second shift, there were only 4. One shortage was an R. N. and there are supposed to be 2 RNs during that shift. The next day they were also short an R .N. for second shift.

August l3, they were short an R .N. on second shift. It truly is not uncommon and it’s not right that these folks are not getting what care they need.

It’s not that they just need more staff, they need more compassionate, caring nurses who can look at these residents as individuals, not puppets to be exactly alike in their care.

Issues my Brother is affected by:

MSA

Anxiety attacks that they do not recognize

Disease causes his eyelids to close and quite often he cannot open by himself.

Because his speech is fading, nurses tend to turn and walk away with out pursuing what he needs.

Deep suction is needed often and we get a multitude of reasons why they can’t do it. (short of staff)

He is left uncomfortable in his wheelchair for the day. He can’t adjust himself.

His communication computer is often not charged for his use.

These things cannot be observed merely by walking by the room and looking at him. He needs someone to actually be up close and check the status of what’s going on with him, I’m told they don’t have time to listen, they can’t understand him. One nurse walks away after telling him, "Tell your Sister, I can’t understand you."

Another concerning issue is a lack of central information among the nursing staff for information concerning my Brother's suction needs. I’ve seen various nurses express their thoughts which are not in accordance with recommendations of his disease specialist, but to make it easier for themselves.

The doctor on call was present at GPC when my Brother was having signs of Aspiration Pneumonia. He did not even walk into his room to check him or even recommend him going to the hospital. He did insist and had aspiration pneumonia and a urinary tract infection, both of which are extremely dangerous to him.

Staff at GPC tells me I have to trust them to care for my Brother but for almost 2 years, they have given me no reason to think I can trust them.

These are not meant to be complaints about the nurses as such but to point out the effects of the lack in care." by Chiquita Prestwood. (Glen Tig died on September 17, 2020.)

Kevin Peralta died on August 23.

"Long before the pandemic, her family and others had complained about the quality of care residents were getting at George Pearson Centre...Krystell’s brother lived there and, on Aug. 23, he died in hospital of dehydration and multiple infections. Kevin Peralta was only 28.

Five years earlier, an inoperable brain tumour had rendered him immobile and unable to speak. He was able to communicate by blinking in response to questions. The Peraltas knew Kevin’s death was inevitable. But they’re heartbroken and outraged about his suffering during the final months and days.

“My brother didn’t die from his (brain) tumour,” said Krystell. “He died from neglect, lack of care and definitely loneliness.”

By August 2016, when the once-vibrant, competitive hip-hop dancer moved into GPC, he was immobile and unable to speak.

Kevin had a feeding tube and a tracheotomy. He had diabetes and, with the tumour sitting on his pituitary gland, he urinated frequently putting him at risk of dehydration or, conversely, a urinary tract infection if his urine bag wasn’t drained frequently.

Until pandemic restrictions locked down B.C. care homes in March, Kevin’s parents, Cres and Florencio, visited every weekday after work from 3 to 9:30 p.m. Every weekend, they were there from 1 to 9 p.m. Krystell, a cardiac care nurse, visited when she wasn’t working.

“If it wasn’t for my nagging and advocating for my brother to the care staff, if my parents weren’t there daily to see their son’s condition,” she said. “Kevin would’ve died sooner.”...

But Krystell said whenever she tried to advocate for Kevin, GPC staff tried to silence her. She was told that she was “too intense” and that as a nurse she should be quiet, knowing how hard the job is...

On one of her first visits, she pointed out to staff that her brother’s ear was swollen, red and there was a crusted discharge. Nothing was done about it.

On Aug. 14, Kevin vomited while she was there. Later that day, when his parents arrived, their son was covered in vomit that was clogging his tracheotomy tube.

He was taken to emergency and after two days and some antibiotics for aspiration pneumonia, Kevin was sent back to GPC.

Three days later, his ear was worse. His vital signs were poor and dropping. Kevin was sent unescorted by ambulance back to emergency. A day later, the family agreed that Kevin should be moved to comfort care.

At least there, they reasoned, they would be able to stay with him, hold his hand and ensure that his pain was managed. He died peacefully three days later."

--Daphne Bramham, Vancouver Sun, Dec 21, 2020

VCH's August 24 memo to GPC staff

Memorandum

Date: August 24, 2020

To: All George Pearson Centre Staff and Physicians

From: Bob Chapman, Executive Director, Vancouver Community

Dr. Michael Norbury, Associate Senior Medical Director, Vancouver Community

CC: Sarah Jordan, Director, Long Term Care and Assisted Living

Marla Gordon, Medical Director, Long Term Care and Geriatric Programs

Romilda Ang, Manager, George Pearson Centre

Dr. James Dunne, Medical Director, George Pearson Centre

Re: Appreciation for GPC Team

As many of you may have seen, there have been some recent media stories and online social media about various aspects of resident experiences at GPC. We understand the depiction this created of GPC has been hurtful for our care team. We also know the focus is often towards our staff and team.

We want to assure you that we know you are caring for our residents and are following all appropriate practices and procedures. Furthermore, we know you are kind, compassionate and dedicated professionals who work every day in a very complex and challenging environment.

We don’t have control over what and how the media reports out on stories, although we have done our best to provide messaging or comment that reflects the true story of your great work without infringing on privacy.

We also understand there’ve been some cases where social media has been used to the detriment of staff and other residents. Please rest assured that, if this crosses the line in terms of privacy/harassment/untruth, etc., we have made every effort to get those posts taken down or deleted. If you are made aware of any additional social media posts, please do let our digital communications team know at webupdates@vch.ca to see what can be done.

We wanted to recognize that this has been a challenging time for those involved, and for you individually seeing your colleagues and teams being criticized publicly. Please know that we appreciate how hard you work, how much you care and how dedicated you are to the residents and the community you serve. While often the focus publicly is on what hasn’t gone well and a need for improvement, together let’s acknowledge the positive impact you are making – each and every day.

Thank you for your contribution every day!

"We apologize for our actions and our inaction in righting wrongs."

On December 1, 2020, the Acting CEO and the Board Chair of VCH admitted that there was widespread discrimination against Indigenous people within VCH: "The report's first finding bears repeating – Widespread Indigenous-specific stereotyping, racism and discrimination exist in the B.C. health-care system. To the generations of Indigenous peoples who have lived these experiences, and those who continue to face harm, we apologize for our actions and our inaction in righting wrongs. To health authority Indigenous employees and physicians, we apologize to you as well for the impacts you have experienced." See here and here.

December 10, 2020

CBC's Early Edition does an "Access Denied" segment about GPC.

December 11, 2020

"The Ministry of Health and Vancouver Coastal Health did not respond to repeated requests for comment on whether any progress has been made since the meeting with the minister."

December 21, 2020

"VCH...went on to say that it takes seriously all concerns raised by patients."

Dave von Holtum May 18, 2021

“Basically [at George Pearson Centre] (I) was unable to get the nutrition for approximately eight or nine days until I was so weak that I had to come back to St. Paul’s.”

Dave von Holtum May 26, 2021

"I'm absolutely desperate to get out. I'm taking up a space that somebody who needs it could be in," he said.

"It's just extremely depressing being here [at GPC]. I'm just removed from everybody, my friends and family," he added.

CTV News May 26, 2021

Meanwhile, B.C. Seniors Advocate Isobel MacKenzie says people predominantly want to live at home, even when they are facing health challenges.

"We know there are people in long-term care that could be cared for at home if we had a more responsive health-care system," she said.

August, 1970

"Because of staffing shortages, Pearson residents are told that only those capable of dressing themselves will be allowed to wear daytime clothes; assistance is not given putting on shoes and socks; only 2% of the 150 patients in extended care wards can dress themselves; the residents go to the press and extensive, sympathetic publicity is generated...

In 1970...provincial budget cuts resulted in staff shortages at Pearson. As a result, residents who could not get themselves up and dressed had to stay in bed. They went public and generated a tremendous amount of publicity about the treatment of disabled patients, raising questions that went far beyond Pearson. An editorial in the Vancouver Sun headlined "A sickening policy" said:

When the patients start to rebel in hospital, there's something drastically wrong with health care in British Columbia." --40, by George!, Hugh Wilson, 1992, (pages 11 & 16).

Published by

Paul Caune

Executive Director of CIVIL RIGHTS NOW!

Published • 10mo updated in 2021

25 articles

For decades, Canada's long term care facility George Pearson Centre has given cruel compassion to its patients. hashtag#georgepearsoncentre hashtag#vch hashtag#canada

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