Manitoba has launched the country’s first adult abuse registry to help protect vulnerable adults and patients living in health-care settings from abuse and neglect.
Health Minister Theresa Oswald and Family Services and Labour Minister Jennifer Howard announced Wednesday that the registry will help protect Manitobans by preventing individuals who abuse or neglect vulnerable people from working with them in the future.
The registry has been adding the names of individuals who have abused or neglected adults with an intellectual disability since it became operational in January.
“This regulatory change builds on the important work already being done by the Protection for Persons in Care Office as they investigate reports of abuse and help protect Manitobans living in health-care settings,” Oswald said. “Reporting to the registry adds another layer of protection for adult Manitobans and empowers the PPCO to do more on their behalf.”
New regulations coming into effect on March 15 would require the province’s Protection for Persons in Care Office (PPCO) to refer cases where an individual was found to have abused or neglected a patient in a hospital or personal care home to the registry, where a committee would decide whether or not to include the name.
— Staff
