(May 7, 2020)<\/p>\n
By: News Staff, City News<\/p>\n
More people appear to be dying of coronavirus in for-profit long-term-care homes, compared to publicly-owned facilities, according to a new analysis released Thursday by health care advocates.<\/p>\n
The Ontario Health Coalition looked at death rates in 93 Ontario nursing homes with outbreaks of COVID-19 that resulted in deaths.<\/p>\n
When comparing the number of beds in each home to the number of COVID-19 deaths, they found the mortality rate in for-profit homes was nine per cent.<\/p>\n
That compares to just over five per cent in non-profit homes, and less than four per cent in publicly-owned homes.<\/p>\n
The rates of death have also increased faster in for-profit homes than in non-profits, while rates in publicly-owned facilities actually dropped between late April and early May.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can never forget that these death rates are cold hard numbers but they represent real human beings: mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers,\u201d Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, said in a release.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe differences between the death rates in for-profit versus non-profit and public long-term care raises momentous questions about the different practices regarding staffing, working conditions and wages, levels of care, and profit-taking.\u201d<\/p>\n
The study\u2019s lead author, Rabbi Shalom Schachter, said the data showsfor-profit homes have a much worse record than public and non-profit homes.<\/p>\n
He said changes are needed to the current model of delivering long term care, and the overhaul should respond to the ways that ownership impacts quality and outcomes of care.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlready even prior to COVID-19 it has been recognized that the current model of delivering long term care has to be overhauled,\u201d Rabbi Schachter explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pandemic has brought to the fore the consequences of the current model. The overhaul should respond to the ways that ownership impacts quality and outcomes of care.\u201d<\/p>\n