Restraints "a form of abuse" coroners inquest told - General

Community Action, Dec 9, 2002

TORONTO -- Using physical restraints "as a means of control or discipline--is a form of abuse." Community Living Ontario executive director Keith Powell, said at the opening of a coroners inquest into a death in a group home.

Stephanie Jobin died in a group home in 1998 after staff restrained her under a bean bag for 20 minutes. Mathew Geigen-Miller, a youth activist with the Ottawa Defence for Children International called on the inquest into Jobin's death to expose the "culture of disrespect for children's rights." He noted that group home workers who restrained Jobin were not trained for such situations. Most provinces have few, if any training requirements for group home staff in first aid, CPR or crisis intervention training.

The CLO states that more funds for research, more money for salaries and alternatives to physically restraining people are among the requirements to ensure that lives are saved and enhanced for those in group homes.

Instead focus must be on alternatives to restraints and "ensuring people with disabilities receive adequate and individually appropriate supports."

Stressing that such supports are an investment in people which "would virtually dissolve the current reliance on restraints, except in the most urgent cases." The CLO also noted in a background paper that current funding for salaries within the developmental services results in "tremendous turnover" in staff. Consequently, staff are often inadequately trained and have no personal knowledge of the people they support, which "is a formula for abuse and tragedy."

It was noted that group home workers who restrained Jobin were neither trained in first aid nor in CPR.

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