My friend lives in a seniors' residence. I am concerned about the standard of care she is receiving there. Last week she had a bruise on her arm and told me one of the nurses had hit her. Should I make a complaint about this treatment? To whom do I complain?

Initially, you might only have to complain to the manager or owner of the residence for the matter to be investigated and dealt with. If that doesn't help, you may have to look at other options.

Some provinces have laws that require anyone to report any suspected abuse of adults living in institutions and seniors' lodges to specified authorities. Other provinces have laws that allow for reporting of suspected abuse, but do not make it compulsory. In both cases, there is normally also a statement in the law that no action can be taken against the person who made the complaint.

Even if a province does not have a law that provides for reporting suspected abuse of seniors in an institution, there are other ways to initiate a complaint. It is always possible to go to the police if you suspect that someone is being harmed or mistreated. Also, there will likely be some kind of licensing body in the province with regard to operating seniors' residences, together with detailed rules about how the residences must be operated. You might consider making a complaint to the licensing body.

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January 2006

see also:

• More Abuse of Older Adults FAQs

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