BREAKING Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
A new study has revealed an increase in antipsychotic drugs use in long-term care homes across Canada despite no significant increase in behavioural symptoms of residents – something that may expose a potential area of concern for quality of care, researchers say.
The study, published in Health Services Insights, examined data from yearly Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reports to assess how COVID-19 impacted resident admission and discharge rates, resident health attributes, treatments, and quality of care.
The report data was collected two years pre-pandemic and in the first year of COVID-19, and was from more than 500,000 residents across Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia.
The researchers focused on these provinces as they were home to facilities with the highest number of COVID-19 cases early on in the pandemic.
There was approximately 10 per cent in risk-adjusted odds of potentially inappropriate antipsychotic drug use across the provinces studied, compared with the pre-pandemic period, according to John Hirdes, professor at the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo.
The risk-adjusted rates for inappropriate use of antipsychotic drug usage without a diagnosis indicate that usage in Alberta went from 18.1 per cent in 2019/2020 to 19.9 per cent in 2020/2021. In Ontario, usage went from 18.3 per cent in 2019/2020 to 19.3 per cent in 2020/2021.
Additionally, researchers said the number of people who were given antipsychotics without being diagnosed as psychotic increased in all provinces, not just the four that were studied.
"The highest increase was in Alberta, and the lowest in Ontario," researchers said.
This increase may expose a potential area of concern for quality of care, as the researchers did not observe a significant increase in behavioral symptoms of psychosis that would lead patients to require antipsychotic drugs.
“(This) raises the question of whether these medications were used pre-emptively in anticipation of challenges during outbreaks and staffing shortages," said Hirdes, in a press release.
The pandemic was particularly challenging to long-term care homes, many of which were inundated with COVID-19 patients requiring care. However, all other quality indicators studied in the research remained stable, which Hirdes says reflects positively on the efforts of staff in long term care homes.
The study authors write that while the pandemic weaknesses in the heath sector --- such as of infection practice and controls, emergency preparedness, and staffing supports in health care --- the data showed a similar quality of care compared to pre-pandemic times in all other aspects.
The authors say that more research should be done to better understand the impact of COVID-19 outbreaks on health care facilities and the quality of care received by the residents.
The prescription of antipsychotic medications is used to reduce or relieve symptoms of psychosis, including delusions and hallucinations, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
These drugs are also known as treatment for psychosis that occurs for those with bipolar disorder, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as for those with schizophrenia.
According to CAMH, these drugs have unpleasant side effects, including dizziness, weight gain, and diabetes, most of which will go away after stopping drug use. There is however risk for a long term condition called tardive dyskinesia, which causes people to make involuntary movements.
A previous version of this story incorrectly interpreted a small portion of data from the study. This story has since been updated with consultation from study authors to correct any misrepresentation of data.
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
A B.C. man has been convicted of assault with a weapon after using a skid-steer Bobcat to chase two homeless people from his lawn, injuring one of them in the process.
A grieving mother is speaking out after her 36-year-old son was shot and killed in North Preston, N.S., Wednesday night.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.