Ontario long-term-care association calls for inquiry

The association representing most long-term-care homes in Ontario came out in support of a public inquiry into the sector Saturday, but said more had to be done to support care homes in the interim as deaths continue to mount.

The Ontario Long Term Care Association said a review would solve long-standing issues with the provincial model for care homes, but the unprecedented threat of COVID-19 means action on personal protective equipment and staffing levels was required immediately.

“Public inquiries are important, but they take years,” said Donna Duncan, CEO of the OLTCA, in a press release.

“We need to focus on immediate solutions to protect our residents and the front-line heroes who care for them — then thoughtfully address the longstanding systemic issues COVID-19 has highlighted,” she said.

Duncan said staffing levels were already low before the pandemic, but a lack of personal protective equipment has exacerbated the problem by leaving workers vulnerable.

She also called on the province to continue prioritizing testing in long-term care homes and allowing for staffing flexibility through emergency orders.

The request by the OLTCA, which represents about 70 per cent of the province’s care homes, comes as Ontario reported another 391 cases of COVID-19 and 33 deaths.

The increase in cases represents a daily growth rate of 1.8 per cent, compared to an average growth rate 1.6 per cent in the three previous days.

There is now a total of 22,313 confirmed cases, including 1,858 deaths.

Long-term care homes have taken the brunt of the impact from the pandemic, and the Ministry of Long-Term Care has reported that 1,360 resident deaths are related to COVID-19..

The Ministry of Long-Term Care report uses separate data from the overall province-wide COVID-19 statistics.

Merrillee Fullerton, the minister of long-term care, said earlier this month that a review would happen after the pandemic is through.