Care worker policy a first step

Re: Work-in-one-place plan was on health radar long before COVID-19 crisis

I would like to thank Vaughn Palmer for his recent article. This new work-in-one-place policy regarding care workers in B.C. is taking time to implement and is a step in the right direction, but the scope is limited and doesn’t include group homes and other community care models.

For example, my son’s group home is one that has a worker who also works in a long-term care facility, and the infection rates have been alarming and devastating in that care model. The employer, Community Living Society, which operates many group homes, cannot stop using these workers because they form 30 per cent of their workforce. Therefore, the possibility of cross-contamination of the COVID-19 virus from risky locations like long-term care facilities to other vulnerable people continues.

Of course, care workers never intended to be part of the cause in spreading the virus, but this happens because many of them cannot find full-time employment with a living wage and benefits, so they have to work at multiple sites, with multiple employers.

In the meantime, all of our lives have been negatively impacted and our governments are incurring incredible debts in order to fight back this deadly virus. As an advanced society, surely we recognize the benefits to everyone of making certain that all care workers are adequately compensated for the valuable work they do with our elderly and disabled folks.

Judy Fisher, North Vancouver