With 38,000 cases and counting, COVID-19 has continued its rampage across Canada, targeting the most vulnerable citizens. Ontario reached over 12,245 confirmed infections as of writing and that number is only going to go up. COVID-19 is highly infectious and deadly for the vulnerable population particularly seniors and residents in long-term care facilities. Surely, the government and regulating bodies are taking every precaution to prevent spread across the province? Certainly in Canada there are stringent regulations that demand high-quality care and facilities for seniors? Unfortunately, it seems that that is not the case. The most vulnerable residents, those in aged care and long-term care facilities have been left to hide behind a mottled veil of apathy. And now COVID-19 is ripping that veil off and showing everyone just how broken the system is for the most vulnerable residents who have been left to fester in poorly managed, understaffed and neglected facilities.
Are You Outraged?
The most vulnerable residents are at an even higher risk because of poor conditions and regulations in our long-term care facilities. How shameful that the government has long since pulled a curtain over the poorly regulated, underfunded and understaffed conditions that seniors have been relegated to. 121 long-term care homes in Ontario are dealing with outbreaks of COVID-19. Over 2,000 residents and staff have been infected at the time of writing with 274 dead from COVID-19.
Caregivers and staff at long-term care facilities often work at multiple locations. With low wages, barely any supplies, poor working conditions and weak regulations, it’s easy to see why they need to work as much as they can wherever they are needed to make ends meet. Most of these caregivers are employed on a contractual or casual basis and have no guaranteed hours. This is a terrible system when a deadly and highly infectious virus is running rampant throughout the country.
This isn’t a new revelation either. Numerous studies, inquiries, warnings and recommendations have been made to improve the state of senior care in Canada. Seventeen years ago, the SARS outbreak led to recommendations by a federal commission to overhaul the staffing system and move to have at least 70% of staff registered as permanent staff as well as increasing inspections and updating reporting systems across Canada.
But that didn’t happen.
And what’s worse is that regulations have been slipping and loosening in recent years in long-term care facilities. Residential Quality Inspections (RQIs) are performed by the Ministry of Health but the number of RQIs significantly dropped as regulations loosened and funding decreased. During the years of 2014-2017, up to 250 RQIs were performed per year but 2019 only recorded a grand total of 50 Residential Quality Inspections. These inspections are key to infection control in long-term care facilities and this lack of oversight and reporting has led long-term care residents to the horrors and tragedy that COVID-19 has brought. In Eatonville Care Centre in Toronto, 33 have died and more than 130 people have been infected. Had proper inspections been performed, such numbers could have been minimised or entirely avoided.
Is There Hope?
The pandemic has shone a blinding, ugly light on the failings of Ontario’s long-term care facilities. Broad, sweeping changes need to be made for these facilities to be anywhere near up to standard and that will take time. Senior care, retirement and ageing, in general, are sensitive topics but time is not something residents have an abundance of.
Seniors don’t have to be relegated to a poorly managed long-term care facility. There are options out there for our aged population. Retirement shouldn’t mean giving up your freedom and sacrificing your standard of living. Co-ownership opens up opportunities for people of all ages to enter the real estate market by offering tailored and creative solutions to pool resources and incomes and create communities within a home. GOCO believes that for seniors, it can open up a whole new spectrum of co-living possibilities.
Having your own home and being able to foster a community within your residence opens up so many opportunities to increase your quality of life even in retirement. Regardless of whether you are on a fixed income or require care, finding the right household could save you from situations that this pandemic has created. Security in retirement is possible whether it is financial security or physical security in pandemic situations and, best of all, it’s customizable to your needs as seen in the examples below.
Example of a co-owned laneway unit. Courtesy of Picnic Design at https://www.picnicdesign.ca/sandbox
In a co-ownership situation, you would be able to avoid the social isolation that COVID-19 brings with new social distancing rules and shelter-in-place orders. You could control the spread of any infection instead of relying on poor, overworked and understaffed carers that are constantly moving in and out of the premises.
GOCO is an advocate for living better in a community. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the world how important it is for people to connect socially and how easy it is for loneliness to affect those who are vulnerable and isolated in senior and long-term care homes. GOCO encourages those who are able to seek alternative options to senior homes.
Example of a co-owned unit with four seniors. Courtesy of Picnic Design at https://www.picnicdesign.ca/sandbox
Has The System Failed?
Ontario’s long-term care system has failed its most vulnerable population in this tragic pandemic ravaged time. It will take time to repair this system while the world recovers from COVID-19. Aged citizens and retirees shouldn’t have to resign themselves to waste away in these facilities and should explore alternative options that allow them to live their lives fully and to the highest standard possible. Co-ownership can give them the opportunity to build and foster a community in their own home and prevent the tragedies that COVID-19 has swept over the world. If you are curious to learn more, we encourage you to read up more on the co-ownership process and how GOCO can help you.
Thank you to Picnic Design for the wonderful graphics https://www.picnicdesign.ca/sandbox