June 17, 2008 - OANHSS Lauds Focus on Enhancing Staff Capacity: Sharkey Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OANHSS Lauds Focus on Enhancing Staff Capacity: Sharkey Report

Sharkey Report - People Caring for People: Impacting the Quality of Life and Care of Residents of Long-Term Care Homes

Toronto, Ontario (June 17, 2008) - The association representing not-for-profit long term care homes expressed its support for the direction outlined in a new report released today by the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on staffing and care standards for long term care homes.

“We commend Minister Smitherman for his leadership in commissioning this report and Shirlee Sharkey for her thorough and thoughtful handling of a very complex and important topic,” said Donna Rubin, CEO of the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors.

The report, People Caring for People: Impacting the Quality of Life and Care of Residents of Long-Term Care Homes, identifies 11 recommendations designed to achieve two principal goals: strengthening staff capacity for better care and establishing a strong foundation for quality care and accountability for resident outcomes.

“One of the single biggest issues in our sector is having the right number and mix of staff to meet the individual needs of each resident. We heartily support any steps to enhance capacity and allow front-line staff to do more than just attend to residents’ basic needs,” stated Rubin. “Our Association has long been concerned with the increasing amount of time staff are required to spend on compliance-related reporting and other documentation so the recognition of the need to free up front-line people to give more personal attention to residents and families is welcomed,” Rubin added.

Also key among Sharkey’s recommendations is the establishment of provincial guidelines to support funding increases to raise the level of care to an average of four paid hours per resident per day over the next four years.

“We were especially pleased to see that the report recognized the need for funding enhancements to strengthen staff capacity,” said Rubin. “The reality is the need is now. We can’t continually ask homes to do more – care for residents who are older and more chronically ill than ever before, look after an increasingly large population of people with dementia and behavioural challenges, meet new standards and new regulatory requirements, provide enhanced programs and enriched environments – without giving them the resources they need,” Rubin added.

The report also recommends against a regulation specifying a provincial staffing ratio or staffing standard. OANHSS agrees, believing that homes must be empowered to determine how best to use their staff and resources to meet the needs of their residents.

“It is so very important that homes have the flexibility to determine the appropriate staffing allocation that takes into consideration the many factors that make each home unique – the mix of residents, staff skill sets and experiences, the home environment and philosophy of care – to achieve the best possible care outcomes,” said Rubin.

OANHSS looks forward to reviewing the report in further detail and working with the Ministry on the implementation of the recommendations.

OANHSS is the provincial association representing not-for-profit providers of long term care, services and housing for seniors. Members include municipal and charitable long term care homes, non-profit nursing homes, seniors' housing projects and community service agencies. Member organizations operate over 27,000 long term care beds and over 5,000 seniors' housing units across the province.

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For further information, contact:

Debbie Humphreys

OANHSS

(W) 905-851-8821 x 233

C	ontact OANHSS

Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes & Services for Seniors
7050 Weston Road, Suite 700, Woodbridge, Ontario L4L 8G7
(P) 905-851-8821
(F) 905-851-0744

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OANHSS members include not-for-profit providers of long term care, services and housing for seniors in Ontario.
Members include municipal and charitable long term care homes, non-profit nursing homes,
seniors' housing projects and community service agencies.