Demands of Ontario Long-Term Care Home WorkersOn November 4, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) submitted its recommendations to the province's Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission. The Commission was established by the provincial government in July to study the situation in long-term care homes in the province in light of the number of outbreaks and deaths from COVID-19 in the first wave of the pandemic. The three-person Commission's report is to be delivered to the Minister of Long-Term Care no later than April 30, 2021 but in light of the seriousness of the situation the Commission decided to make an interim report to government on October 23. The Commissioners reported that they had already heard from about 200 people from almost 50 different organizations in the long-term care (LTC) sector, and, based on what they had heard, "felt compelled to submit these early recommendations in the short-term to help protect the lives of long-term care residents and staff in light of the current rising COVID-19 case numbers in long-term care homes." Among their recommendations was that immediate action be taken to address the shortage of 6,000 workers in LTC and to ensure four hours a day of direct care for each resident. The government's response was the same as it has been since the spring. The Minister of Health told the press, in response to the report, that the government is "working on a plan." As
of November 18, the Ontario government website reports that there are
100 LTC homes in the province with outbreaks (up from 77 on October
23). Since January 15, there have been 2,109 residents and eight staff
who have died. On November 17 there were 678 residents and 541
staff infected.
- increased access and waived tuition fees in community colleges to assist students interested in becoming personal support workers; - standardization of training; - mandated staff-to-patient ratios, guaranteed hours of work, more full time positions and increased wages, pensions and benefits to recruit and retain staff and eliminate the need for workers to work at multiple sites; - guaranteed four hours of direct care for each resident every day; - sufficient and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and training in its proper usage; - that the Ministry of Long-Term Care develop a province-wide pandemic protocol which includes a clear chain of command, PPE available at all times and timely provision of information to workers; and
OPSEU also called for an end to privatization: "Media analysis of COVID-19 in Ontario has drawn clear lines between the private sector and dangerously inadequate care. Private sector homes with lower wages and fewer staff have suffered much more frequent outbreaks and higher death-tolls than homes owned and managed by municipalities and other non-profit organizations. It's all too clear that corporations have boosted their profits by reducing their labour costs. And it's all too clear that those decisions have had tragic consequences. Ontarians understand that there should be no place for profiteering in our health care system. It is no different in long-term care -- the entire system must be brought back under public ownership and control immediately." (Photos: OHC, SEIU)
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OPSEU
represents 2,400 workers in long-term care homes. In its submission to
the Commission, OPSEU put forward several concrete demands for the
government to increase investment in long-term care, chiefly by
investing in workers. This is essential to stop the spread of the
coronavirus, enhance protection of workers and residents, and
address the longstanding problems of under-staffing, precarious work
and low wages that greatly contributed to the tragedies of the first
wave and have still not been addressed. Among the recommendations,
which echo those of organizations representing health care workers
throughout the LTC sector are:
- measures to be
taken to increase access to homes for
family members and, in situations in which family members have limited
physical access, that staff are given extra time to tend to the social
and emotional needs of residents, including helping residents connect
with families on social media.