Media Advisory - Ontario Health Coalition release of new report
CARING IN CRISIS: ONTARIO'S LONG-TERM CARE PSW SHORTAGE
TORONTO, Feb. 10, 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
Monday February 10
Thunder Bay 10:00 a.m. – Unifor Local 229, 1060 Lithium Drive
Jules Tupker (phone) 807-627-6249
Tuesday February 11
Kingston 10:00 a.m. – Artillery Park Aquatic Centre, 382 Bagot Street
Matthew Gventer (phone) 613-542-5834
Sarnia 10:00 a.m. – Strangway Community Centre, 260 East Street N
Shirley Roebuck (phone) 226-402-2724
Oxford County 10:00 a.m. – Unifor Local 1859, 44 Harvey Street
Bryan Smith (phone) 226-228-8309
Thursday February 13
Windsor 10:00 a.m. – Unifor local 2458, 3400 Somme Ave
Patrick Hannon (phone) 519-796-0410
Friday February 14
Brampton 10:00 a.m. – Chris Gibson Recreation Centre, Crafts Room, 125 McLaughlin Rd N.
Richard Antonio (phone) 647-237-5135
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), and Kitchener-Waterloo (Feb. 7).
SOURCE Unifor
Natalie Mehra, Executive Director (cell) 416-230-6402; Hisham Shokr, Research & Campaigns Director, (office) 416-441-2502, (cell) 647-830-6406
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