Media Advisory - Ontario Health Coalition release of new report

CARING IN CRISIS: ONTARIO'S LONG-TERM CARE PSW SHORTAGE

TORONTO, Feb. 17, 2020 /CNW/ - Caring in Crisis: Ontario's Long-Term Care PSW Shortage, is a new report written by the Ontario Health Coalition and commissioned by Unifor. The report examines the Personal Support Worker (PSW) crisis in Ontario's long-term care homes. The issue of Personal Support Worker (PSW) shortages is one that has serious local repercussions. PSWs are on the front lines, providing much of the daily hands-on care for approximately 80,000 long-term care residents in Ontario. It is no overstatement to call the situation a crisis. Long-term care homes reported that they are working with shortages on almost all shifts, every day. Weekends are worse. Rural areas are even harder hit. The shortages mean that there are not enough PSWs to staff existing beds let alone the planned new beds that are urgently needed to address the long wait lists in each community on the tour.

The report is based on input and feedback from round-table meetings held across Ontario attended by home operators and administrators, PSWs, union representatives, family councils, seniors, college staff who develop/coordinate PSW courses, local health coalitions and other long-term care advocates. The press conference will include first-hand accounts of how the crisis is impacting each local community and their long-term care homes, and recommendations to restore stability to the vital long-term care workforce.

PSW CRISIS TOUR PRESS CONFERENCES

Thursday February 20
Sudbury 10:00 a.m. ? Sudbury Indie Cinema Co-op, 162 Mackenzie St
Melissa Wood (phone) 705-662-8506

The press conferences are part of a 15-town tour on this issue. Press conferences have already been held in Oshawa (Jan. 29), Ottawa (Jan. 29), St. Catharines (Jan. 30), Sault Ste. Marie (Feb. 3), London (Feb. 5), Chatham (Feb. 5), Hamilton (Feb. 7), Kitchener-Waterloo (Feb. 7), Thunder Bay (Feb. 10), Kingston (Feb. 11), Sarnia (Feb. 11), Oxford County (Feb. 11), Windsor (Feb. 13), Brampton (Feb. 14).

SOURCE Unifor