Greetings again from the darkness. There are very few topics more frustrating than when the drive for profits exceeds the importance of care and treatment. Documentarian Helene Kladawsky details how this has occurred in Canada by focusing on the efforts of dedicated attorney Melissa Miller. Of course, we all know this issue is not isolated to Canada, but in fact, is an ongoing problem in the United States, as well as other countries. However, the decision to narrow the coverage allows for a clearer understanding of the challenges.
The first thing to know is that director Kladawsky does not take cheap shots or turn this into a stream of anger-inducing hidden videos of disgusting behavior towards those in need of care. On the contrary, she includes the frontline caregivers among the victims of corporate greed and malfeasance. The star of the show is Melissa Miller. She's an attorney, activist, and crusader, and she's very impressive as she juggles mounds of individual cases, as well as mass tort (or what we would call class-action in the U. S.).
Ms. Miller has to maneuver the applicable laws, as well as the high-priced and powerful attorneys representing the corporate entities that utilize nursing homes and long-term care facilities to generate massive profits. She explains how the mistreatment of the sick and the elderly has never generated much in awarded damages as these folks were not deemed to have much worth (likely to die soon anyway). We learn how staffing levels can be misleading. The facilities staff according to requirements, yet the daily 'no-shows' are so rampant that those on duty carry an impossible patient load, thereby making proper care impossible.
Consistent complaints received on these homes pushed Ms. Miller to focus on this area of the law beginning in 2018. Her personal experience with senior citizens motivated her to stay committed. We also learn about "chemical straitjackets", a form of drug abuse used on patients to minimize the attention required ... while also reducing any reasonable form of energy or enjoyment of life. Ms. Miller meets with Pat Armstrong, a writer-researcher on the global industry, as well as Katha Fortier, who is focused on the rights of health care workers - those easiest to blame, despite being underpaid and overworked. Ms. Miller also works with a Private Investigator who provides details needed for the lawsuits, as most family members are too emotional to comprehend the legal aspects.
One of the more interesting points made is how these high-profit facilities are used to fund pension plans, thereby making the access of data even more challenging to come by for Ms. Miller and her clients. She does note how the COVID pandemic brought the number of deaths to the headlines, meaning settlements and damages went up. She focuses her attention on three main companies, increasing the odds that progressive changes may someday be more cost-effective than court cases for those so attuned to profits. Having to spend so much time in the corner of patients and families emphasizes the cruelty of a system that values profit over human physical and mental care.
Opening in theaters on October 18, 2024.
