Media conference: Another crisis in long-term care

TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2020 /CNW/ - The CEO of RNAO and a leading Toronto geriatrician say Ontario's long-term care (LTC) sector is headed for another disaster similar to the one that swept through nursing homes last spring, unless the government takes immediate steps to secure the health and safety of vulnerable residents and LTC staff.

The plea to save residents' lives in nursing homes during the first wave of the pandemic last spring went largely unheeded. Such inaction has now claimed the lives of more than 2,000 seniors in nursing homes. It has also taken nine staff. This neglect has left loved ones and staff experiencing shock and anguish. It's a tragic tale of preventable suffering that could have been avoided had Premier Ford adopted recommendations during the first wave – evidence-based advice to address long-standing staffing shortages, crowded homes and other COVID-19-specific failures in the sector.

Now, as the number of outbreaks in homes reaches 100 with 2,100 residents and 1,500 staff testing positive for COVID-19 – and a death toll surpassing 200 residents since Sept. 14 – health experts say nursing homes, their residents and staff are once again being abandoned. 

What:	Media conference to discuss the urgency facing LTC homes in Ontario
Who:	Dr. Doris Grinspun, RNAO CEO
	Dr. Nathan Stall, Geriatrician, Sinai Health System
When:	Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, 10 a.m. ET
Where:	Join via Zoom:
	https://zoom.us/j/99683378299?pwd=UFRldEp1UmN0YUZxWEwxN0Iydno4Zz09
	Meeting ID: 996 8337 8299
	Passcode: 817023
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The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public they serve. For more information about RNAO, visit our website at RNAO.ca or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario

Marion Zych, Director of Communications, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), Cell: 647-406-5605, Phone: [phone], [email protected]; Victoria Alarcon, Communications Specialist/Co-ordinator, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO), Phone: [phone], [email protected]

Related Links

https://rnao.ca/