A new ombudsman report shows 568 complaints have been filed about Ontario’s long term care system since COVID-19 started.
Problems include nurses without personal protection equipment as well as non-infected residents in the same room as someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
The report goes on to say we shouldn’t expect a different outcome at long-term care homes in the second wave because many of the same public health risks remain the same.
The document addresses staff shortage, long shifts, a lack of PPE and slow response from so-called SWAT teams.
Minster of Long Term Care Merrillee Fullerton says “I will acknowledge that in the first wave the global competition for PPE created numerous challenges. We were getting PPE to our homes, some of them only within 24 hours of need.”
Fullerton adds a lot has changed to make the system work better and the government is putting millions of dollars into the system.
“We’re continuing to work on staffing with the Ministry of Health. We are putting dollars behind that.”
