THUNDER BAY – With the number of COVID-19 cases continuing to increase in Ontario, including a growing number of deaths in long-term care homes, the union representing local personal support workers is calling on the government to take more action to protect patients and staff.
Kari Jefford, president of Unifor Local 229 representing workers in several long-term care homes in Thunder Bay, said news coming out of southern Ontario is concerning to everyone.
“The biggest concern for the union is one for the residents and two for our staff,” she said. “But our biggest barriers for keeping people safe and keeping people happy is the Ontario government at this point. They are far behind from where they should be.”
Jefford pointed to British Columbia, which was the first province in the country to report a death from COVID-19 in a long-term care home. The B.C. government restricted visitors to these facilities and Jefford said it is something the Ontario government should have done weeks ago.
“They have made directives and suggestions, but still no clear directives on how to staff or what the employers need in order to keep staff from moving about and keeping the residents safe,” she said.
The Ontario government said an iron ring needs to be placed around long-term care facilities to protect seniors and the most vulnerable against COVID-19.
One of the issues initially facing long-term care was staff working at several different agencies.
“My members often work two or three jobs in many different health care facilities,” she said. “So not only are they at risk, but they are also putting some of our residents at risk, so we need that addressed.”
All long-term care homes in the city now require staff to only work at once facility to limit any possible spread of COVID-19.
Tracy Buckler, president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Care Group, said they are also asking other staff members to limit themselves to one facility.
“We have been asking our staff to let us know if they work at other locations, outside of health care even,” Buckler said. “So people that have different jobs in the community, we are going to be asking them to make a choice and make a decision to work at one site. It’s the responsible thing to do it is the proactive thing to do.”
Jefford said a lot of the issues facing long-term care homes have existed long before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is a direct result [of] decreased staffing or decreases in people wanting to go into health care,” Jefford said. “We have been talking about shortages of PSWs and health care workers in Northwestern Ontario for months, and what we're seeing now is almost a match and gas fumes. We are in a lot of trouble here.”
There are also growing concerns about a shortage of personal protective equipment for staff in long-term care facilities.
“There are a lot of stories coming from inside the workplace that they are asking for this equipment and not getting that equipment,” Jefford said. “We are working on those on a one-by-one basis.”
Buckler said St. Joseph’s Care Group is taking measures to protect residents and staff in its long-term care homes, including screening that began on March 11.
“We tightened up that screening for anyone travelling outside of Northwestern Ontario,” she said. “We wanted to make sure we could really tighten up where people have been and really protect members of our vulnerable population.”
“Our staff have been fantastic in being present and being cooperative and being part of everything we are doing,” Buckler added. “The directives are changing constantly.”
Jefford said she hopes the province will act soon, because while communities in Southern Ontario have been hit hard already, there are others where the spread of COVID-19 is not as rapid, so actions need to be taken now.
“We needed actions weeks and weeks ago, but we absolutely need it now,” she said.