TORONTO, CANADA, June 20, 2001: When an elderly Indo-Canadian man of 74 years killed two fellow inmates and injured another in a nursing home, the shocking occurrence sparked an investigation of old age homes in the country. Results of the Ontario provincial government report indicate a series of problems for seniors in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Seniors may be restrained without their consent and not released for hours, they may be left in dirty and wet diapers for long periods of time, they often do not receive pain medication, many of them develop bed sores and receive no treatment and there was evidence of unexplained bruises and cuts on many residents. In such an environment, South Asian seniors fare even worse than other Canadians. They feel alienated because of religious, cultural and dietary preferences. The Chinese community in Markham has approached the problem by building facilities where a certain number of beds are allocated specifically for the South Asian elderly.
A daily summary of world news for Hindus and non-Hindus alike