Women — particularly racialized women — are more likely to be in positions at the lower end of the health sector’s pay scale, that also require close and prolonged contact with patients.
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Not only is the health sector feminized, but women — particularly racialized women — are more likely to be in jobs at the low end of the pay scale, but that require prolonged contact with patients.
Even financially comfortable LGBTQ+ Americans may find themselves vulnerable to economic shocks.
MoMo Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images
Gays, lesbians and other sexual minorities can face significant economic challenges with age.
Retirement homes might seem like less of a lifestyle choice and more like relocation imposed upon older adults by fragmented and under-resourced primary and community care services.
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Increasing the number of older people with both Medicaid and Medicare would mean fewer of them would be forced to skimp on the care and treatment they need.
Long-term care workers shared ideas for mitigating moral distress at work, and these focused on improved communication, collaboration and support.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes.
Long-term care workers experienced mental health challenges and moral distress during the pandemic. Research shows why workplace standards and support for workers are crucial to the future of LTC.
COVID-19 is still with us, and is still causing serious illness and death. However, it is disproportionately affecting older people.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
COVID-19 is the third-leading cause of death in Canada, but it’s older people who are dying. That we accept this and carry on as if the pandemic is over reveals our ageism: We don’t value older people.
People protest outside the Tendercare Living Centre long-term-care facility in Scarborough, Ont. during the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2020. This LTC home was hit hard by the second wave of COVID-19.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Privatization is an idea that — like a zombie —just won’t die. It’s re-emerging with calls to solve the long-term care crisis with for-profit care homes. Evidence refutes the same old arguments.
For workers in long-term care homes, distress due to difficult working conditions is often dismissed as a part of the job description.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
The long-term care sector is currently being held together by a very vulnerable workforce, and is at risk of failing without immediate solutions.
Building safer workplaces requires leaders who understand how years of resource constraints, unhealthy work environments, abuse from patients and a pandemic have contributed to overwhelming burnout and job dissatisfaction among workers.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
The future of our health system depends on recruiting and retaining passionate and highly skilled health-care workers. It’s essential to build work environments where they feel supported and safe.
Canadian laws protecting whistleblowers are generally pushed through in the aftermath of a crisis, but rarely turn out to be effective.
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Delirium doesn’t just harm vulnerable seniors. It prolongs hospital stays, ties up beds and clogs emergency rooms. Mandating senior-friendly hospital care protects patients and the health-care system.
Many caregivers were prevented from seeing and taking care of their loved ones in long-terms care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Family caregivers of residents in longterm care homes experienced a collective trauma as they were kept away from their loved ones during the pandemic. This isolation has long-ranging impacts.
A resident chats with workers at Orchard Villa Long-Term Care in Pickering, Ont., in June 2020.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
When political candidates talk about their long-term care proposals, let’s remember there isn’t much point unless we recruit and adequately compensate enough workers to care for our loved ones.
Flowers sit on a bench in front of a for-profit long-term care home in Pickering, Ont., where dozen of seniors died of COVID-19, in April 2020.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Ontario voters can bring about change by prioritizing people over profits and casting our ballots for those committed to transforming long-term care into a non-profit model focused on care.
A worker is seen cleaning surfaces inside a long-term care home.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Residents of group homes and long-term care are at high risk for COVID-19. But an important aspect has been left out of Public Health Ontario’s guidance for these facilities: indoor air quality.
We need to recognize, respect and support the integral role of family caregivers in society.
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It’s time to complete the picture and recognize public expenditures on supports for family caregivers as social investments in the well-being of individuals, families and communities
Our healthcare system needs to respond in a more just, inclusive, caring and timely way to allow in-person final goodbyes.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Our health-care system needs to respond in a more just, inclusive, caring and timely way to allow in-person final goodbyes from those who matter most to those at the end of life.
Canada’s LTC can become a seamless, human-centered system that helps senior citizens get the care they need.
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Coronavirus has disproportionately impacted the most vulnerable seniors. We need socially innovative solutions to redesign long-term care and help seniors age safely and with dignity.
Social isolation can be hard for people living in long-term care homes, make sure to schedule window visits while lockdowns are in place.
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As people living in long-term care homes brave another lockdown, communication is key and the presence of family members (virtually or through the window) is needed.