The provincial government’s Opposition says a report on Saskatchewan’s long-term care system reveals long-term problems.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put staffing and standards challenges in the spotlight across Canada, including in Saskatchewan, where a recent 251-page report from the provincial health authority revealed many homes struggled to retain adequate staff to meet the needs of a growing senior population, even before the pandemic.
NDP Leader Ryan Meili said the 2019 SHA CEO Tour report points to a need for minimum care standards in long-term care homes, as well as the appointment of a seniors’ advocate to provide more oversight to the province’s 8,824 long-term care beds.
Such a position already exists in British Columbia and is comparable to Saskatchewan’s advocate for children and youth.
“We should still take the opportunity and the increased attention COVID-19 has brought to long-term care to look at the real problems,” Meili said.
Provincial health authorities argued that the relatively small impact COVID-19 has had in Saskatchewan homes compared to other jurisdictions, like Quebec or Ontario, means the system works.
“I think we need to give credit where credit is due,” SHA CEO Scott Livingstone said in reference to the province’s long-term care staff.
He said he agrees with Meili that the pandemic brings an opportunity for change, noting that new rules restricting long-term care workers to a single facility to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus could potentially be maintained after the pandemic is over.
“It’s going to be interesting to see if we have the ability to continue that long-term,” Livingstone said.
Health Minister Jim Reiter said the Opposition’s argument about the need for stricter guidelines was a matter of semantics, arguing that existing guidelines for special care homes essentially accomplish that just as effectively as a piece of legislation.
There was always room for improvement in long-term care, but he believes it would require a range of improvements, rather than simply more funding, Reiter said.
When asked directly about whether he thought there are enough staff in long-term care facilities, he sidestepped.
“We’re always striving to make sure that there’s adequate staffing,” Reiter said. “We’re always evaluating where we’re at.”
Livingstone said the growing range of complex needs in long-term care homes could point to a need for more specialized facilities, like those geared to treat patients with dementia. He also suggested increased support for people who need help within their own homes could reduce strain on the system as a whole.
“As we’re watching the demographics of this population expand … we’re going to have to change and expand,” Livingstone said.
ACTIVE CASES AT LOWEST POINT SINCE MARCH
On Monday, the province reported only a single new case of COVID-19, located in Regina. However, it also announced that a sample tested there on May 27 was found to be a false positive, meaning the total cumulative case count remains at 646.
Only 47 of those cases are considered active — meaning not recovered or deceased — which is the lowest number since March 21.
A government statement said false negatives and positives are always a possibility because of the limitations of lab equipment. For example, a person in the early stages of infection may test as a false negative but develop symptoms shortly thereafter.
The number of tests conducted per day in the province has remained consistently below 1,000 despite assurances from public health officials that they could conduct as many as 1,900.
Testing is currently available to anyone working outside their home, regardless of symptoms.
On June 5, testing will also be offered to all people being admitted to an acute care centre for more than 24 hours, including expectant mothers, as well as the caregivers of patients with weakened immune systems.
