113 Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers Health workers say Sask. system failing to protect elders, vulnerable adults from neglect and abuse continued Kathleen, who was in her daughter's care, died days after she was found with gangrene and rotting flesh and wounds from sitting in a chair in urine and feces for what could have been months. She was only found after her daughter called 911 saying her mother was not feeling well. Paus-Jensen said she has no doubt there are people in Saskatchewan who are currently being abused or neglected by their carer. The province has introduced new measures to protect vulnerable adults in recent years, Paus-Jensen said. In 2013, the Health Care Directives and Substitute Health Care Decision Makers Amendment Act allowed caregivers to make decisions on specific day-to-day treatments on behalf of patients who can't. In 2019, the Saskatchewan government made amendments to The Marriage Act to nullify marriages where one person was deemed to not have the capacity to consent to the nuptials. Paus-Jensen said better protections for vulnerable adults should be the next step. "They can't protect themselves, they don't recognize they are being abused, they can't get away from it," she said. "They need third parties to say, 'hey, you were pushed down the stairs because of your injuries … it's not right, you've got bed sores galore.'" In the meantime, Dr. Thorpe said she is finding ways to assist as best she can. She said getting the PGT to take over financial control — in cases where that is appropriate — is one way of getting better access to help the vulnerable person. She said a family member who has been relying on that money for income will often back off once that happens. "Then we're able to deal with that person, have that person placed appropriately now," she said. "That's better than nothing, but it still means there's nobody overseeing the health care of that person." Elliot Paus-Jensen is a former social worker in geriatrics and a volunteer for the Saskatoon Council on Aging. (Alicia Bridges/CBC) It’s not always easy to spot senior abuse, many seniors are victims of physical, mental or sexual abuse, financial exploitation or neglect. Make sure you know the signs and how to stop it.
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