Wang: Serious long-term care problems demand urgent solutions

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What could you do in 201 days?

You could definitely train for a marathon, anywhere from 112 to 140 days. You could start learning a new language: it takes the average English speaker 189 days to acquire a working command of French. If you really put your mind to it, you could even learn the basics of a basic computer programming language in about 180 days.

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However, for the average Ontarian looking for a long-term care home (LTCH) for themselves or their loved ones, We spent 201 of those days waiting..

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This is not a new problem. In fact, wait times have increased by 47 days compared to 154 in 2013, when the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) urged the federal government to develop a “national strategy for seniors’ health care” due to concerns about the future of long-term care. in Canada.

It’s not cheap either. While the wait time for LTCH placement for an inpatient is relatively short, 72 days, The average hospital bed cost Ontario taxpayers $919.44 per day in 2021.

Against the backdrop of hospital systems across the province suffering from full wards and empty staff rosters, a solution to current long-term care issues would create much-needed breathing room to provide vital care.

Unfortunately, these solutions are not easily found. The average new admission to long-term care is more medically complex, more likely to have dementia, and requires more help with daily living compared to 10 years ago.

Under pressure to do more with less, job openings in the health care and social assistance sectors have increased by 210 percent over the past three years. In fact, The Ontario Long-Term Care Association (OLTCA) estimates that the current workforce would need to be doubled. to meet the projected 38 percent increase in demand for care in 2029.

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This problem goes beyond quantity. TO report Summarizing observations from Canadian Armed Forces personnel deployed to five homes in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed a shocking state of dysfunction ranging from impossible staffing ratios of up to 30 to 40 residents per support worker to absolute neglect of residents with deprivation of basic needs. like going to the bathroom and caring for wounds.

Supervision is minimal and often deliberate. One of those homes had incident reporting channels that were “blocked” with the exception of medication errors.

That said, there have been some significant efforts recently to improve the situation. The passage of the Long-Term Care Repair Act in 2021 has raised the bar on care along with a $4.9 billion commitment to recruit and retain more than 27,000 nurses and support workers.

With this came a renewed commitment to both announced and unannounced inspections, something that was virtually put on hold during the pandemic. While they are a step in the right direction, only time will tell if these changes will make a difference for Ontario seniors and their families.

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Ultimately, Ontario’s long-term care system must adapt quickly to address the challenges posed by an aging and medically complex population, staffing shortages, and other systemic issues that have no quick or easy answers.

Frank recognition of this increasingly serious situation and longitudinal commitment to finding and implementing solutions must remain the top priority of policymakers, politicians and the public to fulfill our collective duty to provide excellent care to some of our most vulnerable people.

James Wang (he/him) is a medical student at the University of Ottawa

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