POLICE ASSOCIATION OF NOVA SCOTIA 79 Protection for Persons in Care The 46 allegations were investigated under the province's Protection for Persons in Care Act (PPCA), which came into effect 10 years ago as an extra safeguard for people receiving care in hospitals, residential care facilities and nursing homes. The legislation stipulates that facilities have a duty to report all allegations of abuse, although the documents received by CBC News indicate that doesn't always happen. Bob Lafferty, manager of investigation and compliance for the PPCA, says his team of nine investigators responds to all complaints within 24 hours, but not all inquiries turn into investigations. Over a four-year period there were approximately 800 complaints under the PPCA, including allegations of misconduct by staff and residents, but only 20 per cent of them resulted in investigations. Anonymous phone call Ellen Rudderham-Gaudet believes an investigation should have taken place into an incident involving her mother. Both of her parents lived at Saint Vincent's Nursing Home in Halifax for three years. Rudderham-Gaudet said she and her brother received an anonymous phone call from someone claiming to work at the nursing home telling them to ask questions about an incident involving "very rough handling" of her mother. She questioned staff and says she was told something did happen, but that the nurse who made the anonymous call had exaggerated what she observed. Rudderham-Gaudet reported the incident under the PPCA. "They never investigated. They never followed up. They never called me back," said Rudderham-Gaudet, who has since obtained her own records through the Freedom of Information Act in an effort to determine how her complaint was handled. She remains unsatisfied. Donna Hopkinson kept detailed daily journals of what took place during the five years her mother was at Saint Vincent's. She once got a call from a nurse apologizing for giving her mother a double dose of blood pressure medication. Hopkinson says the error wasn't documented. She also reported under the PPCA. Reports reveal 46 abuse cases over 2 years in Nova Scotia nursing homes (continued) Bob Lafferty,manager of compliance and investigations for the Protection of Persons in Care, has a team of nine investigators. (Brian Mackay/CBC) Ellen Rudderham-Gaudet made several reports under Nova Scotia's Protection for Persons in Care Act. (Brian Mackay/CBC) Betty Rudderham, Ellen Rudderham-Gaudet's mother, lived at Saint Vincent's Nursing Home in Halifax for three years. (Submitted) Donna Hopkinson kept detailed daily journals of what took place during the five years her mother was at Saint Vincent’s Nursing Home in Halifax. (Brian Mackay/CBC) continued
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