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<\/div>\nTHUNDER BAY \u2013 When Mariann Jollineau had to move her father into long-term care, the experience was stressful and challenging for the entire family. She is grateful to have found a home for him and for\u00a0the dedication of those responsible for his care, but regular shortages in staff continue to cause concern\u00a0about the quality of care her father is receiving – a situation all too common for many families across the province.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen there are shortages, sometimes there is one personal support worker and one registered practical nurse on a floor of 32,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s nuts. No one would allow that in prison, no one would allow that in a daycare, but it happens where we are and that\u2019s not right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jollineau was one of several to voice concerns during a town hall meeting on Tuesday hosted by Unifor Local 229 on what it is calling the long-term care crisis.<\/p>\n
There are six long-term care facilities in the city of Thunder Bay and Unifor represents more than 2,500 workers in the field. According to Keri Jefford, Unifor Local 229 president, there remains a chronic shortage of PSWs in local facilities, which is due in part to no legislation under the Long-Term Care Act that requires a minimum staffing level or minimum hours of care.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of the issues is legislation changes to make employers and owners of for-profit and private clinics have basic minimum staffing levels and funding also needs to increase and workers need more time with the residents,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, spoke during the meeting and she\u00a0said staffing shortages is an issue impacting long-term care homes across the province.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have a critical shortage of staff here and that continues to be a major problem that needs to be addressed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBottom line, even where there are staff shortages in the community, homes are working short staffed because there is no regulated level of care in long term-care homes and it has to be made a priority in the administration that they have to have enough staff,\u201d Mehra continued. \u201cIt has to be a political priority of government that they have to provide enough staff.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the town hall meeting, several solutions were offered by staff at long-term care homes in the city and family members of residents, which included not opening anymore for-profit or private homes, increase the worker to patient ratio, and wage increases to incentivize more people into the profession.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis really helps to illuminate what the solutions are,\u201d Mehra said. \u201cA long-term care home itself cannot solve the staffing crisis you have in Thunder Bay. That takes political leadership, resources, and planning to ensure the care bodies moves to where the care is needed and there are incentives to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Solutions needed now<\/h3>\n
Staff shortages in long-term care homes are detrimental to not only residents, who may experience a reduced quality of care, but also creates\u00a0added pressure on staff, which\u00a0can lead to burn-out and deter others from entering the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe quality of care now is less than it was two years ago, 10 years, 15 years ago,\u201d Jefford said. \u201cThe types of residents in long-term care now, more than 90 per cent of them are dealing with dementia issues, there are complex health issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Staff is also forced to provide care for more and more patients in a much shorter time period. In some homes, staff have only six minutes to prepare residents in the morning and Unifor is challenging anyone to run through a morning routine in under six minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat really starts to wear down on the people providing the care because they do enter this field because they want to care for the residents and want to do the very best for them and most of them are leaving their shift feeling they haven\u2019t met the basic needs of their residents,\u201d Jefford said.<\/p>\n