Immediate Action needed to Address Safety Concerns and Staffing Levels in Long Term Care

Wed. May 4, 2016

MEDIA RELEASE:

Immediate Action needed to Address Safety Concerns and Staffing Levels in Long Term Care

Today Acting NSGEU President Jason MacLean is calling on the Government of Nova Scotia and the Minister of Health to address safety concerns in Long Term Care Facilities across the province following comments by Stuart MacLean, Chief Executive of Nova Scotia’s Workers’ Compensation Board.  Yesterday he stated he was disturbed by a spike over the last year in the number of nursing home workers making injury claims due to violence from residents.

“What I hear from our members is that the problem is Government’s failure to approve staffing levels appropriate for the demands being placed on workers in long term care homes and this failure is putting patients and staff at higher risk,” said Maclean.  “One immediate solution would be for the Government to address the staffing level issues in frontline workers, namely Continuing Care Assistants, LPNs and nurses” added MacLean.

The NSGEU raised this issue last year in a release pointing out the lack of resources being allocated to long term to address long overdue problems regarding staffing levels. (/media-release-nsgeu-opposes-cuts-to-long-term-care/ )  “The Government knows there is a problem, but seem unwilling to address the real issues,” said MacLean.

“What we would like to see happen is to have government work with workers across the province in a more  collaborative approach where all members of the Healthcare team can sit to develop a plan to address staffing issues and the safety of patients and workers in our long term care facilities,” said MacLean.  “It’s time for Government to appreciate the hard work frontline workers do and show that they finally value the services they provide; especially considering the crisis they are in.”