![](\"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/thewhig\/images?url=https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/nexus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/hunger_strike_78575340-e1591116614377.jpg&w=840&h=560\")
<\/p>\n(November 3, 2020)<\/p>\n
By: Sue-Ann Levy, The Kingston Whig Standard<\/p>\n
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Crosses erected outside Camilla Care Community long-term care home representing the residents who have died from COVID-19, during a hunger strike by Innis Ingram May 28, 2020.<\/span>\u00a0JACK BOLAND\u00a0\/\u00a0TORONTO SUN<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n So again, dozens of people in long-term care (LTC) homes are infected with the virus in the second wave of COVID-19.<\/p>\n Some 89 residents have died since Sept. 18 and the infection rates have skyrocketed, according to the Ontario Health Coalition.<\/p>\n Staffing shortages remain a problem.<\/p>\n The Ford government was told months ago that staffing of frontline personal support workers (PSWs) was \u2013and still is \u2014 a problem and one which created the massive cases of neglect in facilities that saw COVID sweep through.<\/p>\n What does Premier Doug Ford do?<\/p>\n Instead of addressing the staffing issue head-on as Quebec and B.C. did up to six months ago, he announced his commitment to four hours of quality care per resident in LTC homes.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s one catch. The so-called gold standard won\u2019t be achieved for four to five years!<\/p>\n In addition, the Ford government admits they\u2019ll have to educate and recruit \u201ctens of thousands\u201d new PSWs, registered practical nurses and registered nurses to achieve this goal.<\/p>\n They are starting this fall with 3,700 new frontline workers.<\/p>\n It made a good headline.<\/p>\n Trouble is, it does nothing \u2014 absolutely nothing \u2014 to improve conditions for residents\u00a0now.<\/em><\/p>\n As Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra noted Tuesday, all of the people in LTC homes now will likely \u201cnever see\u201d the promised changes in their lifetime.<\/p>\n \u201cI find that horrible,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n As do I.<\/p>\n She said the plan has no timelines attached to it or concrete targets \u2014 with a provincial election in between.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the government has provided few measures to tackle staffing.<\/p>\n Unlike Quebec, which launched a recruitment drive and increased wages for PSWs four months ago, and B.C. which engaged in similar measures six months ago, Ontario officials essentially sat on their hands during the summer when there was a decrease in the cases.<\/p>\n There was no mass recruitment drive, no improvement in wages and working conditions that would lure people to this kind of work, Mehra said.<\/p>\n She added she\u2019s \u201cspeechless\u201d that the province didn\u2019t recruit 5,000 frontline workers, train them and have them ready in the LTC homes for what is occurring now.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the priority \u2026 this has to be the priority,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s sad to think the government allowed itself to be caught flat-footed \u2014 yet again \u2014 but I see the fallout of their laissez-faire approach to doing what\u2019s right for seniors.<\/p>\n My dad\u2019s dementia facility, sadly, is in the midst of a COVID outbreak which has hit frontline caregivers more than the residents.<\/p>\n Thankfully my dad is OK so far. But they\u2019re scrambling to get replacements in to help.<\/p>\n Vivian Stamatopoulos, an associate teaching professor at Ontario Tech University<\/span>\u00a0![](\"https:\/\/smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital\/torontosun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Capture-e1604451713695.jpg?quality=100&strip=all\")
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