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Health Coalitions Survey LTC workers

Posted: June 25, 2021

(June 24, 2021)

By: John Draper, Cobourg News Blog Reporter

Three groups have teamed up to survey Long Term Care workers to uncover deficiencies. Using the results, they are now lobbying the Provincial Government to make improvements. Their Press Conference on Tuesday, June 22 was on Zoom and recorded on Facebook with the video plus full survey results available via Links below. This report will focus on their key findings and recommendations. Their survey shows that the big problem is staffing which was a problem pre-Covid but is now worse. The group believe that Government promises to increase the number of beds are both insufficient and unrealistic. They also want a focus on public facilities and not “for-profit” homes. To be clear, they are not talking about Retirement Homes but only Long Term Care homes – the biggest example in Northumberland is the Golden Plough Lodge although it was not named in their presentation.

Concerned Groups and Contacts

Survey of 99 Long Term Care Health Workers

As of June 1, 2021
Highlights – see full report in links below

Have all of the residents been vaccinated at your workplace?
Yes – 85.86%
No – 17.17%

Are you and your co-workers being provided all necessary PPE?
Yes – 87.88%
No – 13.3%
Linda Mackenzie-Nicholas, Chair of the Northumberland Health Coalition, commented that there is a concern that masks provided are probably not the more effective N-95 version and that this needs more research.

Have the staff levels at your workplace returned to pre-COVID-19 levels?
Yes – 29.90%
No – 70.10%

How often do you find yourself working short?

  • Daily- 76%
  • 50 % of the time – 12%
  • Didn’t answer – 7%
  • Not in my role/Not applicable – 2%
  • Once or twice every few weeks – .09%

What do you feel is the biggest issue that needs to be resolved at your workplace in order to provide full service delivery to the residents at your workplace?

  • Increased staffing – 70%
  • Better management – 29%
  • More money – 21%
  • More Full-time – 8%
  • Better/more vacation – 3%
  • Improved COVID health and safety measures – 2%
  • Better Union – .09%
  • Childcare – .09%
  • Every LTC home should have a BSO Team (Behavioural Supports Ontario) – .09%
  • Better equipment – .09%
  • Childcare – .09%
  • Lack of Linen – .09%
  • Nothing – .09%

Recommendations

  • End for-profit Long-Term Care homes,
  • Follow through on your promise to hire additional qualified staff without fast-tracking undertrained students or reducing qualifications,
  • Ensure all LTC residents receive at least the minimum four hours of direct hands-on care per day your government promised,
  • Set a minimum pay standard, consistent with the hospital sector, for frontline LTC staff that includes not only personal support workers and other medical professionals, but also cleaning, food service and administrative staff,
  • Ensure a minimum of 70 per cent of staff at each LTC home are full-time.

In the video at the link below, several speakers expand on the above points.

Links

Click here for original article