Thread by @DrVivianS

Here we go ...watching @TheAgenda with @spaikin and my friends @AmitAryaMD and @SharleenStewart.

This will likely be a long thread as I drink my nightly glass of vino and tweet tweet tweet.

.@spaikin poses the question to all "Are we doing better this wave". T/F?
@SharleenStewart - says FALSE.
They didn't prepare over the summer. They only provided empty verbal commitments. Critical staff shortages remain, if not worse since 30% of staff aren't returning to work.

.@AmitAryaMD agrees.
@DLDunc416 says homes are better off this wave because of a faster response from gov't for support (ummm say what??).
@DrSamirSinha Says there is a greater recognition NOW of how vulnerable the sector (from who exactly?? NOT this government).

.@SharleenStewart reiterates staff were told and are still told to this date not to use/waste PPE. Staff are working on both covid + and covid negative units and re-using PPE between those floors (which is VERY DANGEROUS).

.@AmitAryaMD points out the agency staff loophole.

.@DLDunc416 responds to ownership structure and how
SHE SAYS THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE between the performance of for profit and NP/Municipal homes. Umm I'm SORRY BUT THE DATA DOES NOT LIE. You are wrong on this one.

.@SharleenStewart rejects @DLDunc416's claim that ownership structure doesn't matter. Reiterates how ownership DOES matter. FP homes are characteristically understaffed....@SharleenStewart provides the data reiterating this.

.@DrSamirSinha reiterates that community transmission and ward rooms are the reasons explaining the larger outbreaks in for profit homes (based on @NathanStall's study). I would love him to explain WHY these wealthy FP giants did not UPGRADE THESE ROOMS AS THEY WERE TOLD TO.

.@spaikin asks @SharleenStewart again if its ownership that matters or the old design standards. She links it to understaffing in many for profit homes.

Now if I were on this panel....I would've provided a historical backdrop on the for profit business model in LTC.

.@SharleenStewart reiterates how 68% of workers are being exploited...making less money now than pre-pandemic). Also reiterates the GENDERED nature. "STOP EXPLOITING THESE FEMALE WORKERS"
Also reiterates the need to follow BCs approach (as I too have said for MONTHS).

.@DLDunc416 admits they have alot of work to do on staffing. If that's the case, why are you supporting the hire of RCAs (resident care aides) over PSWs and RNs?

She says they have been working with colleges over summer months to build experiential learning....Umm how so?

.@AmitAryaMD reiterates that LTC families/residents are SCARED during this second wave...because they see that extra staffing was not put in place and they know there are not enough staff in place to provide the close monitoring that is REQUIRED.

.@AmitAryaMD says we need a 4.1 hrs standard of direct care per resident. The province commits to do that in 4-5 years which ANGERS LTC families who are SOL right now.

.@spaikin asks the same standard of care promise question to @DrSamirSinha. He relates back to staffing report that was put out in July (not June) reiterating staffing report also calls for this but points to absent funding in the budget to actually set that standard.

.@DrSamirSinha says PRE-PANDEMIC 80% of LTC homes were understaffed....and his survey research over the summer showed people have lost confidence in the LTC system. Says there is no time like the present to start.

.@DLDunc416 says the ministry is planning right now to do this (she clearly knows more than the public) and says the problem is finding staffing. I KNOW HOW TO FIND STAFFING. PAY THEM A LIVING WAGE AND DONT WORK THEM TO EARLY DEATHS. How about that? (ok this wine is kicking in).

.@DLDunc416 You are presenting conflicting statements. You support the hiring of de-skilled staff occupational categories (RCAs) but say we need highly skilled workers. The for profit sector has demonstrated VERY CLEARLY that occupational de-skilling is their modus operandi.

.@SharleenStewart reiterates the great Pat Armstrong "The conditions of work become the conditions of care". We MUST address STAFFING.

We need to stand up to the for profit corporations and say NO. We need to protect out seniors. YES SHARLEEN YES!

.@DrSamirSinha says we have a really dedicated LTC Minister........ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Come on.

Now up is my bestfriend @DrFullertonMPP
.@spaikin asks what did they learn from Wave 1. @DrFullertonMPP says they learned alot to make things better in the second wave.

UMMM How exactly Minister???

.@DrFullertonMPP says we need to "reintegrate LTC into the larger HC system"....yet she still has not provided a dedicated provincial response to get rapid response teams into homes the second an outbreak hits (when they need it the most).

.@spaikin asks her to elaborate the CAF report. Asks what has been done to ensure we don't repeat this. She refers to how they "shored up staffing".

Umm...you didn't SHORE UP STAFF. That is FALSE. What are you actually talking about?

.@DrFullertonMPP says they learned how quickly a home can get themselves into an uncontrolled outbreak YET DOES NOT MENTION how they still fail to implement a coordinated provincial response.

Ya'll remember how she downloaded this off to the local PHUs last week right?

.@spaikin says the previous panelists contradict what she is saying (nice lol).

Her reply: "We brought in pandemic pay" (fails to mention THAT THE FEDS PAID FOR THIS AND ITS TEMPORARY).

This is such horse 💩.

.@DrFullertonMPP says they have an "Expert staffing panel" that guides them?

WHO THE HELL IS ON THIS PANEL? Clearly they need to be released of their duties (with her).

.@DrFullertonMPP reiterates it will take 4-5 years to implement any care standard (so all our poor seniors now are out of luck!).

This is so beyond unacceptable. How is she still in her position?

.@spaikin replays @DrSamirSinha's messaging that we have a really dedicated minister (NOPE) and she thanks him (🤢).

Can we stop the self congratulating and BE HONEST.
This minister failed.
Over 2000 seniors die.
Many more will die before this pandemic is over w/ this govt.

.@spaikin asks about the LTC pandemic planning table.
She says she WAS NOT ON IT because the gov't didn't want politics interfering with it. How about the fact that the owner of @SchlegelVillage homes is on it and he is a known and large contributor to @celliottability.

.@DrFullertonMPP Oh no she didn't just mention the PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE when their government was just shown TO HAVE FAILED HERE BY THE AUDITOR GENERAL (and I reiterated this in my interview with @slightfootCTV today).

And to end off, @DrFullertonMPP mentions the fact they provided caregiver access to 2 family members but forgets to mention we FOUGHT FOR THAT TOOTH & NAIL FOR 6 MOS & ALL THE WHILE YOU KEPT OUR POOR SENIORS effectively imprisoned.

And the show is done....and a goodnight to all.

Here is said interview from literally 2 hours ago on how this gov't actually FAILED TO EMPLOY THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE (it's almost as if @DrFullertonMPP threw this out there to somehow refute the AG who spoke earlier today about this).

https://twitter.com/SharleenStewart/status/1331754715160440833?s=20