Patients are smoking illicit drugs in Victoria long-term care homes, sparking concerns

Victoria, British Columbia hospital staff are speaking out over a lack of orderliness in hospitals, as the smoking of illicit drugs has become commonplace.

Staff are calling for full-time security on-site and specialized clinicians to treat homeless residents and those with safety risks.

Two years ago, Island Health established segregated "special population units" at The Summit in Victoria and Dufferin Place in Nanaimo. These units care for residents requiring full-time care for complex medical, mental, and behavioural health issues but who are too disruptive for traditional care homes and hospitals.

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Staff told the Times Colonist that they have to ring alarm bells due to a small group of residents who have addiction issues or brain damage, who regularly smoke drugs like meth, and put other residents in harm's way.

"There’s a handful of people that are the main concern who use illicit substances within the building," said an Island Health employee who wished to remain anonymous. 

"My biggest concern for a while now is the exposure to smoke, people smoking meth," said the worker. "There’s also lots of verbal abuse and there’s occasional physical altercations between residents, and times when staff are injured."

Island Health reports that the 138-bed Dufferin Place includes a 24-bed special population unit designed for five to 10 residents. At the 320-bed facility, The Summit, there is a 12-bed unit, though staff note that an additional 13 residents, mostly with mental health issues, have been added, bringing the total to 25 on the first floor. Workers at both locations report that residents in these special units consume the majority of staff's time and energy.

"We are catering to the few people that seem to get all the attention and we are really forgetting about the vast majority of our residents who are regular folks who have worked all their lives and come there and they are exposed to those substances and behaviours," the worker said.

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The matter has also gained the attention of the BC Nurses Union, who have called for the issue to be fixed. They say that nurses being exposed to illicit drug smoke is unacceptable. The BCNU even advises that if a nurse believes he or she is at risk, they should stop working. "Your safety is the first priority" and "Don’t enter a hazard area without proper safety measures from your risk assessment," the BCNU’s site reads.

Physical confrontations are also making work difficult. Alanna Wrean, who says she has worked as a long-time volunteer at The Summit, said she saw two residents having a fistfight at the main reception desk and a woman swearing at staff while elderly residents sat nearby.

"Most of the elderly residents are frail and should not be subjected to this behaviour," she wrote to the Times Colonist.

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A worker at The Summit expressed that healthcare staff are deeply concerned for this special population, which includes individuals with severe medical conditions, potential brain injuries, or addictions. "There is really no place for them, and I think that’s the dilemma," the worker noted, highlighting that these individuals would not survive on the streets or in social housing. As a result, they are placed in long-term care settings where staff often lack the specific training needed to manage such complex behaviors, the worker added.