• The Geriatric and Long-Term Care Review Committee (GLTCRC) was established in 1989 and consists of members who are respected practitioners in the fields of geriatrics, gerontology, family medicine, psychiatry, nursing, pharmacology, emergency medicine and services to seniors.
  • In 2020, the GLTCRC reviewed 19 cases involving 19 deaths and generated 46 recommendations directed toward the prevention of future deaths. Of the 19 cases reviewed, three resulted in no recommendations.
  • One case involved the death of a 31-year-old man with a severe developmental delay characterized by autism, a seizure disorder, and bipolar spectrum disorder, who lived in a group home. 
  • Of the 19 deaths that were reviewed in 2020, the breakdown for manners of death were:
    • Natural — 5 (three males and two females)
    • Accident — 7 (four males and three females)
    • Homicidefootnote 1 — 3 (three males)
    • Undetermined — 4 (one male and three females)
  • Of the 19 deaths reviewed, 11 were male and eight were female.
  • The average age of men whose deaths were reviewed was 77 years (excluding the 31-year-old decedent, the average age was 82 years).
  • The average age of women whose deaths were reviewed was 82 years.
  • The average age of all deaths reviewed in 2020 was 79 years (excluding the 31-year-old decedent, the average age for cases reviewed was 82 years).
  • In 2020, the most common areas for improvement identified by GLTCRC through their case reviews and resulting recommendations consisted of:
    • Medical and nursing management
    • Acute care and long-term care industry in Ontario, including the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care (MOHLTC)
    • Communication and documentation
    • Use of drugs in the elderly
    • Use of restraints
    • Other (e.g. quality reviews, referrals to other organizations)

Footnotes

  • footnote[1] Back to paragraph For the purposes of a coroner’s investigation, the finding of “homicide” does not imply a finding of legal responsibility or culpability.