Please pay PSWs a decent wage
It seems to me that forbidding personal service workers and other healthcare workers from working in multiple long-term care facilities is a particularly short-sighted approach to the problem of reducing risk to themselves and the people for whom they care. The problem is the labour practices and wages that force a vulnerable workforce into this position in the first place.
If we want to increase the number of these vital care workers, let our government address the real problem and mandate instead that the institutions pay them $30 an hour, give them full-time positions, give them a pension and decent benefits and the ranks will fill with eager and willing workers in months.
Reminds me of my daughters’ babysitting days where certain clients would offer $2 an hour for caring for what one might have thought was the most valuable thing in their lives. My daughters would politely refuse to return. It is magical thinking to believe we somehow do not have to pay what should be the full cost of these services.
John Young, MD FRCS(C), retired, Ottawa
Scrutinize private retirement homes
Since the start of COVID -19 in Canada, the news media seem to focus reporting primarily on long-term care facilities that house seniors. These are regulated provincially across Canada. Except for the horrors about the Herron residence in Montreal, where 31 people have died, there has been little or no attention given to privately owned and operated retirement institutions. There are dozens of these residences in Ottawa and around the province. They are regulated by Ontario’s Retirement Home Regulatory Authority, mandated by the government under the Retirement Homes Act, 2010.
These residences advertise a carefree lifestyle, prepared gourmet meals, movie nights, excursions, and so on. What they don’t advertise is how short-staffed they appear to be. They don’t advertise that personal support workers often have one or two other jobs because they need to provide for their families. PSWs do important jobs — feeding some residents, providing incontinence care, bathing, etc. Now that we’re in the midst of COVID-19, how are these residences handling the fact that workers go from place to place every day, and that “agency” staff, who also travel from place to place, are hired in an attempt to cover absences? They all take with them anything they may have picked up on their travels.
The media should widen its COVID -19 coverage.
Kathleen Walker, Ottawa
Inquiry needed into virus in LTC homes
The effects of the COVID-19 virus are devastating to many, but I am particularly troubled by the impact this virus has had on seniors in our longterm care (LTC) facilities.
In Ontario (as in many provinces) LTC facilities are regulated by the province and must meet certain standards. They also have health-care professionals on their staff. It is appalling to learn, then, that in Ontario to date, some 70 LTC facilities have COVID-19 infections, and that about half the deaths from COVID-19 in Ontario are residents in LTC facilities.
I am dismayed the virus was so able to penetrate these facilities housing such vulnerable residents, particularly given the role of on-site health professionals. I strongly urge our provincial government to conduct, post-pandemic, a full inquiry into how the LTC sector handled this pandemic in order to develop policies and procedures to better protect our vulnerable seniors.
Alex Cullen, Ottawa
Elderly deserve to be well cared for
Thank you to Christina Spencer for her April 11 article on how this pandemic lays bare the very sad state of Ontario’s elder care.
I am in my 90th year, but in a retirement residence and being well taken care of, with good meals, being bathed regularly, and receiving very good housekeeping services.
I shudder to think of what might happen if, perchance, I suffered a deterioration in my mental or physical health, and was “dumped” into one of these grossly less-than-adequate long-term care homes.
In my professional career as an engineer, I have given a lot to my peers and to my country: In 2012, I received a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal in recognition of what I have contributed. I would hope that my final days would be spent under proper care, and adequately trained and compassionate individuals.
Gerry McGee, Ottawa
Ringing church bells is a better way
In lieu of paying respect by thanking all of our heroic health-care providers as they fight a daily “war” against COVID-19 by a cacophony of sound at 7 p.m. daily, why not consider having all places of worship worldwide pay tribute to our “heroic care providers” by allowing the church bells to ring at 7 p.m. daily, starting in Ottawa?
Hemingway, in his book For Whom the Bell Tolls, refers to those soldiers who died that day. Thus, we would in fact also be honouring those victims of the virus.
Michael J. Mulhall, Ottawa
Smarter to restock stores after hours
During a recent trip to the grocery store, my wife noticed there were several employees stockings shelves. This presented a challenge to maintain physical distancing. May we suggest that all store restock after hours?
Norm Smith, Gloucester
Equality is more than who boss is
Re: Hail to the chiefs, April 11.
As I read your story on health-care leaders, I was impressed by the courage and actions these people have brought to the current health crisis. They have been thoroughly professional and a great service to Canada in this time of need. The author raises that fact that many of these professionals are women and the need for more equality. By equality, she is talking about having more women in leadership positions. It’s a valid point.
The author, however, misses an opportunity to truly promote equality when she cites the fact that most health and social assistance workers (81 per cent) are women. One would have to assume this represents a severe gender inequality and she elects not to address it. To use her logic, what does this say to young men seeking a career in this field? Further, as a someone who is promoting equality, why is she not calling for special attention to address this?
As a professor in journalism, the author is responsible for training young minds to think and act in a critical fashion. Equality is a complex issue and must be examined in a balanced manner. To do otherwise may serve to reveal an agenda which is better suited to a different name.
Dwight Duthie, Ottawa
Trump’s flim-flam just goes on and on
It amazes me that the American people are still taken in by a flim-flam artist like Donald Trump. His daily briefings are breathtakingly arrogant and incompetent, full of falsehoods and general lying. His push to reopen the country quickly has nothing to do with the good or the health of the country, and everything to do with his chances of re-election. Unfortunately, his enablers are standing by, allowing this train wreck to continue.
Pat McCartney, Ottawa
Why should I rat out my neighbours?
We recently received an email from our city councillor encouraging us to snitch to the authorities if we see someone not adhering to the physical distancing laws.
Before I become a rat I would appreciate some clarity, such as, “What’s it in it for me?” If I rat on someone will I get a percentage of the fine they will have to pay?
Before I rat out a parent playing with their small child in a park (no doubt a major crime), I really need some answers.
Ray Jacobsen, Ottawa