EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on The Trillium, a Village Media website devoted exclusively to covering provincial politics at Queen’s Park
The Ford government's plan to permanently allow "resident support aides" to work in long-term care homes could "worsen the staffing crisis" and put vulnerable seniors in harm's way, the Canadian Union of Public Employees is warning.
"We do have a PSW (personal support worker) shortage, there's no question about it," said Michael Hurley, president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE), at a press conference at Queen's Park Wednesday. "A solution which I might say is being encouraged by the for-profit long-term care industry in this province to degrade the pay and conditions for the workforce by moving to a lower level of skill, that is not the solution."
Instead, Hurley said he'd like to see personal support workers earning a "living wage," a "bold goal for this province of filling the vacancies that need to be filled," and training more people to become PSWs, including resident support personnel.
"So we are asking the government to reconsider its position on this," the union leader said.
The government introduced the roles of "resident support aides" or "resident support personnel" in long-term care homes during the pandemic. At the time, it said these individuals would help address staffing shortages caused by COVID-19 raging through homes across Ontario. The aim was for these untrained workers to help residents with things like technology, recreational activities, brushing their hair, or meal times.
The government initially extended the ability of long-term care homes to employ "resident support aides" until July 1, 2024 and launched a set of consultations in the fall of 2023 to decide what to do after that date. It then extended that provision to July 1, 2025. Now the government is looking to move that up to December, according to a recent regulatory proposal.
The regulatory change would allow "resident support aides: to "provide personal support services if the long-term care home licensee is of the reasonable opinion that the individual has the proper skills and qualifications to perform the job, and the director of nursing and personal care is of the reasonable opinion that the individual can safely provide services based on an assessment of the resident's care plan, needs and risk-level."
Hurley said the needs of long-term care residents are higher today than they were a decade or two ago.
"So 81 per cent of long-term care residents have some form of cognitive impairment, and there are a significant number of people with dementia who display violence, and there's a considerable amount of skill and training required to be able to deal with these residents," he said, adding that the government's plan will "have a profound impact on the residents in these homes across Ontario."
Charlene Van Dyke, a hospital environmental service worker and vice-chair of CUPE’s health-care workers committee, echoed his comments.
She said the proposed change is an attempt to "slap a Band-Aid on the health care system that is already in such a crisis."
"The last thing the long-term care sector needs is more untrained staff," she added.
Seniors' advocates have been decrying the province's plan to continue allowing "resident support aides" to work in long-term care homes for some time. They've also called it "abominable" that the government is including them in one of its direct care targets for long-term care residents.
A document The Trillium obtained through the freedom-of-information process showed "resident support personnel" make up about 10 per cent of the targeted 36 minutes of care provided by allied health professionals.
For its part, the government said it is making "historic investments" in the sector to support residents and ensure they get needed care.
Daniel Strauss, a spokesperson for Minister of Long-Term Care Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, said the ministry is funding programs to "upskill" current staff, such as "resident support aides," to become PSWs.
"This initiative is part of our broader $4.9 billion investment to support the hiring and training of thousands of new PSWs and nurses. Earlier this year, the government also announced $100 million in funding to provide 32,000 nursing and personal support workers with hands-on training in LTC, helping them further develop their skills while (continuing) to work in the home," Strauss said. "Additionally, over $300 million has been allocated to provide incentives to encourage the next generation of LTC workers to start their careers in the sector. Our government is making historic investments in Long-Term Care to ensure residents continue to receive the care they need and deserve."
—With files from Katherine DeClerq