OPSEU
highlighted the need for such standards in
presentations before the Standing Committee
on Social Policy on Jan. 16 in Toronto and
Jan. 22 in Kingston.
“You can’t
have quality care without appropriate
staffing levels,” says OPSEU President Leah
Casselman. “This is a tremendous first step
towards addressing understaffing in the
sector.”
Casselman
underlined the necessity of keeping up the
pressure in the coming months to ensure the
minimum set by regulation is one that will
produce good health outcomes for residents.
OPSEU is
asking that a minimum of 3.5 hours per day
per resident be established as the new
minimum. That standard is based on studies
that show such levels to be the point where
residents’ health actually begins to
improve.
The Ontario
government is claiming that Ontario homes
presently average 2.86 hours of care per
day, however, this number is based on
voluntary data provided by the homes, and
subsequently, has not been verified. About
10 per cent of the homes also failed to
participate in the survey the average is
based on.
