(July 8, 2020)<\/p>\n
By: Keith Leslie, The Hamilton Spectator<\/p>\n
COVID-19 devastated long-term-care homes in Ontario, but it also helped LTC operators get rid of some regulations, at least temporarily, that they\u2019ve lobbied for years to have eliminated.<\/p>\n
Last year, under the guise of \u201cflexibility,\u201d LTC homes asked to use less qualified staff to address a shortage of registered nurses and personal support workers, which they helped create.<\/p>\n
The staffing shortage quickly became a crisis when COVID-19 hit, so the Ford government gave LTC homes what they\u2019d been asking for, hopefully just for the duration of the pandemic.<\/p>\n
The Ontario Long Term Care Association said homes shouldn\u2019t be required to have at least one RN on duty 24-7, claiming a registered practical nurse could do the job, and also wanted to use untrained staff to do work done by college-trained PSWs.<\/p>\n
The province approved both changes in the pandemic Emergency Act, allowing LTC homes to use any staff, or even volunteers, to do the \u201cdirect care and comfort\u201d work of PSWs.<\/p>\n
Premier Doug Ford this week denied cabinet had rejected two requests from Long Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton for extra funding for LTC staff. There was no money for more staff, but immediate regulation changes to allow LTC homes to use cheaper, untrained labour.<\/p>\n
LTC homes call it a \u201chuman resources emergency,\u201d but nowhere in their nine-page submission to the government\u2019s red tape commission in 2019 do they admit that precarious employment is a key cause of the problem. They claim the \u201cgreatest challenge\u201d to hiring staff is a \u201chigh administrative workload,\u201d and a \u201cpunitive culture\u201d created by regulations and inspections.<\/p>\n
In reality, too many LTC staff are hired on a part-time, temporary or contract basis, without benefits, and work at two or three homes, or take agency work, to make ends meet.<\/p>\n