Ontario needs a ‘new normal’ in post-pandemic long-term care

There have been numerous documented cases in Ontario of seniors and people with disabilities dying and mistreated as a result of dehydration, ulcerated and infected bed sores, choking and urinary tract infections in long-term homes. There are also reports of resident-on-resident homicides in longterm homes.

These horror stories have focused attention on the vulnerability of the residents that rely on these institutions. The incidents mentioned came from media reports that predate the COVID-19 pandemic. They reflect Ontario’s system of care for seniors and people with disabilities in “normal” times, not times of the virus crisis.

Politicians claim they are saddened over the tragedy now unfolding in Ontario’s long-term homes. They have long known about the chronic underfunding that has led to inequality and instability in providing quality care for the elderly. Unions and organizations that advocate for people who depend on long-term care have for years complained about the worsening conditions of these private facilities. The private for-profit long-term care “market” which are self regulated, charge exorbitant fees, including fees for service that a person would be entitled to receive through a publicly funded long-term care system.

The connection between private longterm homes and diminished standards of care has been documented in numerous studies and reports. The Ontario Health Coalition has found that forprofit facilities not only provided “inferior” care, but also were more likely to have been cited for serious deficiencies than nonprofit and public long-term care homes.

The solution being proposed by the Ontario government’s Action Plan to address COVID-19 outbreaks in longterm homes is less than what is needed to stop the spread of the virus and stabilize the workforce — the so called “iron ring.”

This is a naive solution that presumes that regulations can cause private corporations, whose CEO’s are hired and rewarded to deliver profits to shareholders, to magically begin acting in the interest of ordinary people. This is not going to happen.

The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown that Ontario’s long-term care system, especially the for-profit system, is not equipped to cope with health epidemics and pandemics.

As of April 29, across Ontario, 154 longterm care homes are reporting outbreaks. Of the provinces 951 COVID-19 related deaths, 705 were long-term care home residents. This is alarming given that a CBC investigative report revealed that since the Ford government was elected, annual announced inspections of long-term homes have ceased.

We need to rethink the long-term care structure and regime from top to bottom that must include:

á significantly more federal and provincial government funding

á ensure that all long-term care staff are trained and qualified

á ensure that all long-term front-line staff are unionized and are well paid, including benefits commensurate with their respective responsibilities

á ensure that there are frequent inspections with no prior warnings

á improve infection control practices; and ensure that there are up-to-date PPE gear for all employees and staff.

We need government to make meaningful public investments in long-term care facilities and to reverse the pattern of private long-term home care facilities. No more private for-profit longterm care facilities. They must become an outdated and failed relic of the past.