Ontario Nurses' Association Communiqué
In the last five months, nearly 2,000 residents and staff have
died as a result of COVID-19 in our province's long-term care homes.
Many died isolated, without adequate care and without staff time for
emotional support. Long-term care staff have had to fight for access to
appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and have worked in
crisis-level staffing shortages that have only become worse during the
pandemic. In Canada, we have seen the highest levels of death in
long-term care homes in the developed world.
The Ford government has taken no action to deal with emergency
staffing shortages and inadequate care levels in long-term care homes.
Despite repeated promises, no action has been taken to get care levels
up to a safe standard. In Ontario, the majority of COVID-19 related
deaths happened in for-profit long-term care homes, yet privatization
of new long-term care beds continues.
Today [September 25], COVID-19 continues to run through long-term
care homes. In recent weeks, 11 residents have died at just one home.
Yet, there is no plan to get staff into hard-hit homes. Long-term care
staff are also still fighting to get the appropriate PPE. All staff do
not have N95 masks.
As of last week, there were 35 long-term care homes in the province
with active COVID-19 outbreaks. This cannot go on any longer.
The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) is asking Ontarians to take
action and to stop accepting empty promises from our provincial
government.
The OHC is calling for:
- Immediate action by the Ford government to recruit & train
staff, improve pay and working conditions and provide full-time work.
Quebec's and BC's governments have already done this. There is no excuse
for further delay. The conditions of work are the conditions of care.
- The Ford government to implement a minimum care standard of 4-hours of hands on care per resident per day.
- Both our federal and provincial governments to end for-profit long-term care, starting by making Revera public.
This article was published in
Number 66 - October 1, 2020
Article Link:
Ontario Nurses' Association Communiqué
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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