Nurses association calls for better infection control

A high death toll from the rapid spread of COVID-19 in longterm care proves the need for a nurse specializing in infection control at every home, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario says.

The proposal came Friday as the province approaches 1,700 nursing-home deaths in addition to seven employees felled by the highly contagious virus.

RNAO chief executive Doris Grinspun said there’s no need to wait for Premier Doug Ford’s “independent commission” on the pandemic debacle in nursing homes to take comprehensive action on improved infection control, more hours of daily care for residents and other measures.

“No study and no words will deliver better care for residents — only better funding and better staffing will,” she said after the RNAO released a 34-page report recapping two decades of recommendations from 35 reports, a public inquiry and a coroner’s inquest into longterm care.

“The missing factor is the political will to act decisively rather than, once again, kick the can down the road with more commissions and more reports,” Grinspun added in a statement.

“Premier Ford has vowed to fix the system … as much as I want to believe him, I have heard heartfelt words from political leaders before.”

Ford’s commission is slated to begin next month but the government has not yet named a leader or set terms of reference.

The premier said he won't let the commission’s recommendations gather dust on a shelf.

“This is about making sure we get the job done,” Ford told his daily teleconference.

“We’re going to do whatever it takes. We won’t hold back any funds.”

Provincial ombudsman Paul Dube has also announced an investigation into the effects of COVID-19 on nursing homes, and the Ministry of Health’s patient ombudsman is zeroing in on impacts on residents and staff in a separate probe.

While the virus has infected more than 31,000 Ontarians and killed 2,419, its greatest impact has been felt in Ontario’s 626 long-term-care homes, where more than 5,200 frail and vulnerable residents have been infected. The Ministry of Health reported another 13 deaths Friday, raising the toll to 1,692. Almost 1,900 nursing home staff have been infected as well.

The push from the nursing association comes after a Star story revealed the long-term care industry and unions representing workers are deeply concerned about a second wave of COVID-19 with half the 80,000 staff gone over fears for their own mental and physical health.

Getting those workers back or replacing them will be a “daunting” task, said Donna Duncan, chief executive of the Ontario Long-Term Care Association.

Sharleen Stewart, president SEIU Healthcare, a union representing thousands of nursing-home workers, said staff need to know there will be abundant personal protective equipment, such as masks and face shields, and recognition in their pay packets of how difficult and dangerous their jobs are.

“We need real action,” Stewart told the Star, faulting Ford’s government for not having any representation from labour on its panel of experts monitoring long-term care in the pandemic.

“The collaboration with the workers needs to absolutely be better.”