Letter to the Editor, The Edmonton Journal

COLLEGE FAILS TO EXACT ACCOUNTABILITY FROM COLLEGE MEMBER

However, it is deeply troubling that although the College of Psychologists of Ontario suspended Carter from working for three months and ordered him to be supervised for a year, he will return to the job.

A Whitby father who lost a custody battle for his two sons broke down in tears Tuesday after the so-called doctor who inappropriately diagnosed him with a psychiatric disorder pleaded guilty to professional misconduct.

“It doesn’t undo the problems that he has caused,” said the father who can’t be named to protect the identity of his children, aged 7 and 9.

The College of Psychologists of Ontario found Gregory Carter, a psychological associate, guilty of straying beyond the scope of his profession in diagnosing the father, whom he had never even met, with “narcissistic personality disorder.”

A psychological associate is a step down from a psychologist. While psychologists have doctorates, associates have only master’s degrees and some, like Carter, are strictly prohibited from diagnosing mental disorders unless supervised by a psychologist.

Carter has a legitimate Master’s degree, but his Ph.D. is from Pacific Western University, which has been denounced by the U.S. government as a “diploma mill.” He tried but failed to get registered with the College of Psychologists as a psychologist, but the regulating body declined to recognize his doctorate.

PROFESSIONAL DECEPTION

Carter, referred to himself as a doctor.

His 2006 letterhead identified him as “Dr. Gregory Carter, Practice in Psychology”, letters from an Oshawa legal clinic were addressed to “Dr. Gregory Carter, psychologist,” and on several insurance claim forms, he was identified as a “Clinical Psychologist.”

“Every case Carter has ever worked on should be reopened, ” said a Durham-area grandfather, who was one of the first to blow the whistle on the so-called shrink.

The grandfather, who can only be described as Mr. B to protect the identity of his granddaughter, lost custody of the girl, now 11, in 2008 on the strength of a custody and assessment report by Carter

He was thought to be a psychologist by officials with the Durham Children’s Aid Society and by many judges and lawyers in the region’s family court system.

In the fall of 2008, the Whitby father was embroiled in a nasty custody battle with his ex-wife and two custody and access assessments were produced – one by Carter and one by a “real” psychologist. The real psychologist diagnosed the ex-wife with borderline personality disorder.

But the judge in the case accepted Carter’s report as more “balanced” and said the real psychologist’s assessment was biased in favour of the father. The mother was given primary custody and the father now has only visitation rights.

“Big deal, so they have given him time out but they didn’t make him clean up this mess,” said the father after Tuesday’s hearing. He said he is worried for the well-being of his sons.

CARTER DELIBERATELY MISLEAD THE COURT

Not only did Carter have no business diagnosing mental disorders, but the one he rendered in this case was not based on current or reliable information, college counsel Jennifer McKendry argued.

“This is a very serious act of misconduct,” she said, adding that Carter’s conduct was “disgraceful, dishonourable (and) unprofessional.”

Adapted from the Toronto Star, June 22, 2010

“Older drivers tell us the day you’re told, ‘Hand over your licence’ is worse than a cancer diagnosis,” researcher Nicol Korner-Bitensky said Thursday.

“I heard it so many times I was shocked,” she said. “I couldn’t figure it out, and when I asked why they’d tell me, ‘Cancer is something that comes, a lot of my friends have it, there are good treatments now. But having my licence taken away, day one to day two, my whole life changes overnight.’ ”

Fatalities and serious accidents have risen sharply among older drivers over the last decade.

Canada Safety Council statistics show that drivers over the age of 75 are 3 1/2 times more likely to be involved in a crash than those who are 35 to 40 years old.

The statistics also show that driving-related accidents are the leading cause of accidental death for Canadians aged 65 to 74.

Safe driving is the focus of the Older Driver Blueprint project, released Thursday by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.

The plan, funded by the federal Public Health Agency, recommends refresher programs for older drivers to lessen the likelihood of accidents.

“We are probably going to be the first nation that will have a national plan to change the crash rate we’re seeing,” said Korner-Bitensky, an associate professor at McGill University’s faculty of medicine.

There are now about three million older drivers on the road, and seniors are the fastest growing segment of the driving population.

Courtesy Bruce Ward, Canwest News Service

A 93-year-old Edmonton Senior is begging Capital Care not to ship her dying husband across the city…

Courtesy the Edmonton Sun

I was sitting quietly with a dying man, Konstanty (Ken) Stankiewicz on the evening of the 24th of October (He died on the 26th). His 93 year old wife went home to sleep, she was exhausted. I was sitting in a chair beside the dying man, in a dimly lit room. Staff were kind to me and even gave me a heated blanket – though I did not have conversation with them or discuss the care øf the dying man.

At 2:00 AM I became aware of two large uniformed persons standing in the darkened doorway, who asked me to step into the hallway.

The male constable demanded my license. He then read me my rights, cautioned me, told me to call a lawyer if I wished and said anything I said could be used against me. I was frightened (AND VERY TIRED) and said I did not wish to cause a problem but that I had been there that day/afternoon and often before, The male constable, who was the only one who addressed me, said that I should stop saying that because he would have to give me additional tickets for that. He filled out the attached.

He informed me that there was a restraining Order against me signed by a judge in the Misericordia Security office. I have never been served any documents, Restraining Order in this regard or was aware of what he was claiming.
I had been removed from the Misericordia Hospital on February 19, 2004 – note “Case Study” in www.elderadvocates.ca .

They walked me past the nursing station, out of the nursing home, to my car. Once outside, the male constable thanked me a number of times that I had been cooperative.

Ruth Maria Adria

June 22, 2009

VIA FACSIMILE 780 422 6621

Letter to Follow

The Honourable Ms. Alison Redford, QC
Minister of Justice and Attorney General
403 Legislature Building, Edmonton, ABT5K 2B6

Dear Ms. Minister:

Reference: Sudden Death of Wanda Lorea Tennant, Thomas Lawrence Donelon and Gladys Marie Donelon in a deadly car accident on August 6, 2007.

Another passenger in the vehicle, Chelsea Donelon suffered critical injuries which resulted in paraplegia. At the time, she was a Grade 11 Scona student who suffered devastating injuries in the car accident that claimed the lives of her mother and grandparents. Chelsea broke two vertebrae in her back, both ankles, one thigh bone and both arms and is now paralyzed from the waist down. 15 year old Chelsea was an Olympic hopeful who practiced skiing five days a week.

This accident happened on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway near Leduc on a summery, Monday afternoon. The driver of a northbound Infiniti SUV lost control of their vehicle and crossed the grass median into the southbound lanes colliding with the oncoming Donelon vehicle.

We are asking you to call an Inquiry at your earliest, under the Fatalities Inquiries Act, Chapter F6 in regard to this horrific happening.

We submit that it is imperative that this matter receive attention by your Department.

We would be grateful to be in receipt of your response in regard to this matter by the 15th of July, 2009. Thank you.

Yours truly.

Elder Advocates of Alberta Society

cc. Ms. Margaret Mrazek QC, Chair, Fatality Review Board,
Justice and Attorney General

Responses

Letter

October 27, 2009

VIA FACSIMILE 780 422 1265

Letter to follow

Ms. Margaret L. Mrazek QC, Chair
Fatality Review Board, 7007 116th Street,
Edmonton, AB T6H 5R8

The Honourable Ms. Alison Redford, QC
Minister of Justice and Attorney General
403 Legislature Building, Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6

Reference: VEHICULAR INJURY (HOMICIDE) August 6, 2007:

Thomas Lawrence Donelon
Gladys Marie Donelon
Wanda Lorea Tennant

Chelsea Donelon, 15 years of age, olympic hopeful is now a paraplegic.

Mz. Mrazek, further to your correspondence of September 30, 2009 stating that you have recommended to the Minister that no public inquiry be held. We cannot accept this decision. We knew these people since their university days and find it unacceptable that their lives can be snuffed out without a public hearing.

We are again asking you to call an Inquiry at your earliest, under the Fatalities Inquiries Act, Chapter F6 in regard to this horrific happening.

Respectfully submitted, we would be grateful to be in receipt of your response in regard to this matter by the November 30, 2009. Thank you.

Yours truly.

Elder Advocates of Alberta Society

Attachment – Photos of Tom and Gladys Donelon

Response

Download PDF

On May 27, 2010, police laid fraud charges against Mary Joanne Ireanne Talbot-Brisson, 46, and Mary Joanne Josée Brisson, 22, following a months-long investigation at the Lodge, which is in Cumberland.

More than a dozen seniors who were defrauded of about $346,000 over a 10-year period, Det. Brenda McGillvray, the lead investigator in the case, said Thursday. “We’ve identified 18 senior victims with multiple offences per victim.” “The scale (of the fraud) is unprecedented.”

Some residents estimate they’ve lost thousands of dollars over the years. Michel Gauthier, 64, includes himself among the victims. Gauthier estimates he’s lost $17,000. He said the thefts took many forms but he only realized something was wrong after he asked Talbot-Brisson to take his bank card and withdraw $100 on his behalf.

About a month and a half later, when he checked his account, he found he had $8 left in his account. He estimates $6,300 had been taken. Gauthier, who is nearly blind from diabetes, said he often asked Talbot-Brisson to deliver cheques on his behalf for items such as his cable television bill or drugs at the pharmacy. One day, he said, he received a call from Rogers asking him for nearly $300 in unpaid cable bills.

“Rogers called me and said ‘hey, you owe us money for the cable’ and I said ‘I pay you every month’,” said Gauthier. “They said they never received any cheques. I had to repay it. The phone, the same thing, $400,” said Gauthier.

On top of that, Gauthier estimated the pharmacist at the lodge wanted $10,000 to cover unpaid bills.

Chantal Ruel, a nurse’s aide at Cumberland Lodge, said residents and staff alike were puzzled at reports of residents missing jewelry and cash, as well as thefts from the in-house pharmacy and from the residence itself.

McGillvray said she began the investigation more than six months ago after the owners of Cumberland Lodge and several independent seniors came forward and made complaints of their own.”

The Community Information Centre of Ottawa lists Bethmar Realty Investments Ltd. as the owner of Cumberland Lodge. Elizabeth L. Kirkey is named as the president and owner, and Michael Ansell as the managing director. Neither could be reached Thursday for comment. Cumberland Lodge, at 2564 Market St., has 64 units with a capacity of 84 residents. It bills itself as a private residential care facility that offers meals, housekeeping, personal care and health services to seniors and people with moderate disabilities.

Talbot-Brisson had been the retirement home’s administrator for most of the period under investigation. She began working in 1998 after claiming to be a registered nurse which she was not.

Talbot-Brisson allegedly helped the seniors to pay their bills. In the detective’s words: “She acted as a person to facilitate and assist in helping seniors in rent collection and other living expenses — cable, phone, pharmacy and things like that.”

Talbot-Brisson is facing a total of 25 charges, including criminal breach of trust, fraud over $5,000, theft over $5,000, possession of the proceeds of crime, misappropriation of money held under direction, falsifying employment records, and uttering a forged document.

Brisson is charged with criminal breach of trust, theft under $5,000, fraud under $5,000, and misappropriation of money held under direction for her role in allegedly defrauding one person while she was employed at the lodge.

Adapted from the Ottawa Citizen – May 28, 2010

More than 100 people were protesting registered nursing cuts at Youville Home compromising care and safety of patients in St. Albert.

The auxiliary hospital cares for more than 200 seniors with long-term or chronic health problems. Nurses say the quality of care will suffer when Covenant Health replaces most registered nurses with licensed practical nurses, attendants and other health-care providers.

“We want to shed some light on the transformation that has been going on in long-term care services in the province, and this is just another example,” United Nurses of Alberta president Heather Smith said after the protest Friday.

“It’s a cheapening of the long-term care services that we offer to people in this province. … Basically, seniors are getting the short end of the stick.”

Smith said studies show reducing the number of registered nurses will increase the number of trips seniors make to hospital.

She said that until three years ago, Youville was a designated nursing home, which means it was governed by the provincial Nursing Homes Act. Under that act, a patient must receive 1.9 hours of care each day, and roughly one quarter of that care must be done by a registered nurse.

Three years ago, the designation was changed from nursing home to auxiliary hospital. As a result, the home is no longer legally required to provide the same hours of service.

Youville executive director Cecilia Monro said the company’s service agreement with Alberta Health Services sets the same standard of care: 1.9 hours of care each day, one quarter by a registered nurse.

“Our staffing levels meet and exceed the provincial standards and will continue to do so,” she said.

Youville has had a staffing model that was unsustainable, she said, adding that registered nurses were routinely performing tasks that can be done by licensed practical nurses, such as wound care, physical assessments and administering intramuscular needles for pain control.

The move is designed to become financially stable, she said, adding Covenant Health is a not-for-profit agency.
On any given day in Alberta, more than 700 people are living in a hospital while they wait for a long-term care bed. Zwozdesky said the 2,000 new spaces are expected to ease the pressure on hospitals.

Adapted from Edmonton Journal, June 28, 2010

VIA Facsimile 780 422 2722
Letter to Follow

The Honourable Mr. Luke Ouellette,
Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation
Room # 320 Legislature Building

Dear Sir:

SIMARD MD, DRIVING TEST

We have learned that the Simard MD test is being used by the Primary Care Network personnel to test Alberta Seniors to see if they are fit to drive. We also have knowledge that this test is in the pilot stage of a research project and has not been formally recognized by the Alberta Department of Transportation. Nevertheless, it is in use on Canadian citizens.

We find it troubling that this test, which uses a stop watch, is being used to assess seniors for driving fitness.

Apart from the bizarre nature of the test, we submit that this is a form of age discrimination. Do young persons applying for licenses have to submit themselves to this process?

We would be grateful to be in receipt of your response in regard to this matter by the 15th July, 2010.

Yours truly,

Elder Advocates of Alberta Society

cc. Honourable Ms. Mary Anne Jablonski, Minister of Seniors and Community Supports
Mr. Robert Bhatia, Deputy Minister of Seniors

Response