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It's time to address staffing issues
March 2011- Short-staffing and lack of skills among staff are long-standing problems that continue to plague long-term care (LTC) homes in Ontario. Many of the distress calls received each year by Concerned Friends can be traced to staffing issues, according to those who do advocacy work.
Last fall, Ontario’s Geriatric and Long Term Care Review Committee recommended that the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care provide more resources to increase staffing.
“It is clear to the Committee that the 'downloading' of increasingly complex residents, who would have been previously housed in Complex Continuing Care facilities or in highly supportive mental health settings, cannot continue without increasing both the number and qualifications of staff in LTC homes.
"Homes require both more staff, and more qualified staff in order to safely care for the populations in LTC homes in Ontario in the 21st Century," states the report to Ontario's Chief Coroner.
The Committee suggested that the Ministry provide LTC homes with more educational resources to facilitate staff training at all levels, including physicians, in the care of these complex patients. This training must be comprehensive and planned proactively based on needs, and delivered as an ongoing development program, not just as a single episode in reaction to problems.
Concerned Friends advocates say it comes as no surprise to them that staffing issues continue to plague LTC homes, as they have for decades. Some LTC homes do have better programs than others, so they recommend visiting and researching programs before choosing a home, as well as contacting the Concerned Friends advocacy line for information on specific homes (call 416 489-0146 or toll-free 1-855-489-0146).
Concerned Friends supports the need for consistent and continual training of all LTC staff, particularly those involved with mental health. Physicians must be trained to handle complex care, while consistent and updated training for personal support workers is also necessary. Finally, adequate nursing supervision would ensure that LTC residents receive the care they deserve. |
