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RE: Staffing/Fair wages:
I've talked about how this system reflects the trifecta of racism/sexism/ageism: vox.com/future-perfect…
*We have a majority older, female resident population cared for my a majority racialized, female workforce.
20 years ago (pre-Harris privatization), nursing homes were staffed primarily by NURSES (hence the name, NURSING HOMES).
Privatization kicks in....and these FP owners need to cut costs to increase their profits. How? STAFFING, TO START.
What unfolded over the last 20 years as Privatization increased was the reversal of the staffing mix from majority nurses to majority PSWs (who are an unregulated workforce comprised primarily of racialized women who are often new to Canada).
This strategy is NOT NEW (its how the 2nd phase of predatory capitalism took hold) by expanding quite literally on the backs of women, often from the Global South whose labour is assumed to be both cheap and disposable (I studied this in my PhD).
And indeed, @Revera_Inc in their recent report defending their COVID performance expressed these same calls for an increased use of a gendered & racialized workforce....seeking to have @fordnation adjust immigration policies as a result ⤵️
Big problems here as well. I have reviewed these in an interview I gave with @PnPCBC by comparing the case of Australia to Canada and how our inspection regime FAILS in comparison and leads, to what I call, institutionalized violence.
To boil it down, we scaled back on facility-wide (RQI) inspections DRAMATICALLY under @fordnation@DrFullertonMPP and that was a big problem matched only by the LACK OF EFFECTIVE PENALTIES to hold bad actors accountable.
Starts by saying they have a history of taking over many homes in outbreaks over the last 9 months and have been in the home for ~10 days.
She recognizes the "huge community response" and they are "starting to see positive signs of improvement".
She (Susan Kwolek) says they will stay on until the virus is gone. She says they are in active discussions with the LHIN to move some residents to the temp. health centre (that Fullerton just announced).
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).
The experts (Pat Armstrong and Marcy Cohen) paper recommends @JustinTrudeau (feds) take the following action as soon as possible:
•Ensure everyone has access to care based on need, without financial barriers, and with minimum wait times for admission to a LTC home.
•. Establish and enforce minimum staffing levels in long-term care facilities, accompanied by decent working conditions and recruitment strategies to attract and retain staff;
"In 2018, Paul moved to Pickering, down the street from his daughter. For 18 mos, she was his primary caregiver. “Dad was losing his mobility,” Cathy says. “And I was hurting myself trying to lift him.”
"As his condition worsened, she forced herself to confront a painful fact: Paul needed more help than she could give."