Ontario is doubling the number of nursing home inspectors in the wake of COVID-19 to more closely monitor living conditions in long-term care and focus on violations.
By September, there will be 344 inspectors on site, which is “better than one inspector for every two homes” in the province, Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips said Tuesday.
A total of 193 new inspectors are being hired and will be on duty next September at a cost of $ 20 million.
“What we will see is a different culture in terms of compliance,” Phillips said, adding that the goal is to help quickly identify and resolve problems to improve the quality of care for elderly and frail residents.
Inspectors will conduct more proactive inspections annually as recommended by the COVID-19 Long-Term Care Commission and will have more freedom to press charges for provincial crimes without consulting superiors, bringing them on a par with the powers of labor inspectors and environmental
COVID-19 ran rampant through many of Ontario’s 626 nursing homes during the first and second waves before vaccines became widely available.
In the first wave, several households were so affected by infections and absenteeism that staffing was reduced to 20% from pre-pandemic levels, prompting Prime Minister Doug Ford to request the dispatch of medical teams. military in case of emergency.
Later, a military medical report exposed horrific conditions, such as residents being force-fed to the point of suffocation or left in bed for days in dirty diapers, crying out for help, and often dehydrated or malnourished.
Almost 4,000 nursing home residents have died from the virus and more than 15,000 were infected.
The Ontario Long-Term Care Association said nursing home changes are needed to “build trust” after the pandemic and said the inspections should help the ministry identify which homes are struggling and need more support.
The shortage of skilled nursing home workers makes a cooperative approach better, the association added in a statement.
“In the midst of a health human resources crisis, it is vitally important to use a supportive tone and approach to inspections, and not alienate staff with pass / fail systems that lower morale,” he said.
Phillips said new legislation on the nursing home sectors will be introduced on Thursday to boost accountability in the sector.
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Reference-www.thestar.com