The Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) announced its’ 2008 findings. & gave a glowing Report of the Long Term Care (LTC) experience.Surprisingly, their Report totally contradicts the Auditor General’s finding of 2005and the abysmal & sometimes frightening accounts expressed throughoutthe MLA Hearings, which were held across the province in 2007.Failures of LTC are held silent by fear. Staff,patients & family members are afraidto speak out because they fear some form ofretribution.We note that on the HQCA site, the page concerning Infection Control isno longeravailable.Perhaps a similar glowing Report was withdrawn becauseof media reports to the contrary.We, who are an agency who receive and investigate LTC complaints, find it mostdifficult to accept the Long Term CareHQCA Report as persuasive or reasonable.

December 17, 2008