Not-for-profit LTC homes ask province to mandate vaccines
Allowing patchwork of rules creates unfair playing field, proponents say
The association that represents Ontario's not-for-profit long-term care homes is calling on the provincial government to mandate vaccines for the entire sector to “create a level playing field.”
AdvantAge CEO Lisa Levin said her members, which include more than 400 LTC providers with 30,000 beds, are concerned with the province's reluctance to introduce a blanket policy mandating that LTC sector employees be vaccinated.
“We need government to create a level playing field by creating a single policy that applies evenly across the entire health-care sector.”
Mandatory vaccine policies are being produced on a “patchwork” basis — and that will take the pressure off the government to introduce an Ontario-wide policy, Levin said.
“We want people to realize that the problem is there and we want government to take responsibility.”
On Thursday, a coalition of for-profit long-term care and retirement home operators, including Chartwell, Extendicare, Responsive Group, Revera and Sienna, announced a mandatory vaccination policy. Staff members who are not fully vaccinated by Oct. 12 will be placed on unpaid leave.
Some municipalities and businesses have also introduced policies. Earlier this week, the County of Essex announced it would require employees, including those working at the Sun Parlor Home, to be partially vaccinated by Sept. 7 and fully vaccinated by Oct. 30. London Drugs announced it will introduce a mandatory COVID -19 vaccination policy effective Nov. 1 for all employees as a condition of employment.
Seeing these kinds of examples means some not-for-profit homes are gaining confidence to introduce their own vaccine mandates. But others are hesitant because they don't have the legal expertise available to navigate a lawsuit should an employee sue, Levin said.
AdvantAge members are also concerned that failure to have a provincewide policy will create staffing instability and may lead to vaccinated staff leaving LTC to work in other parts of the healthcare sector where there are mandatory policies.
There's also the possibility of more resident deaths if the workforce is not vaccinated, Levin said.
Not-for-profit homes include municipally-owned as well as charitable LTC homes.
Ottawa's not-for-profits include four homes run by the City of Ottawa.
They are continuing to allow unvaccinated staff to work as long as they are regularly tested and undergo educational vaccine sessions, as required by the province.
Mark Nesbitt, a spokesperson for the ministry of long-term care, said the ministry's goal was to see as many staff vaccinated as possible in every home across Ontario.
It has been mandatory for all LTC homes to have immunization policies for staff.
“The ministry is always looking for ways to help enhance vaccination uptake across the sector, and operators are doing the same when looking at their homes' policy.”