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No relief for staff shortages as Assisted Living Alberta rolled out: union

“We're seeing a serious crisis in terms of staffing levels and leaving one health care aid for 16 to 20 patients that need higher levels of care," said AUPE vice president Sandra Azocar

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The latest “pillar” rollout from the government, Assisted Living Alberta, does nothing to relieve dignity-robbing cost-cutting afflicting some of the province’s most vulnerable, according to the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE).

“We have reports of seniors being limited to five incontinence products a day, and seniors being fed food that’s definitely under (quality) what it should be,” said AUPE vice-president Sandra Azocar.

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The comments come on the heels of the province’s announcement marking the final major roll-out of health care pillars, after Recovery Alberta (addiction and mental illness), Primary Care Alberta and Acute Care Alberta were established.

There’s no sign of relief for thinly-stretched staff among AUPE’s membership, which represents some 58,000 workers in the continuing care workforce, in both for-profit and not-for-profit facilities, including Capital Care and CareWest, Azocar said.

“We’re seeing a serious crisis in terms of staffing levels and leaving one health care aid for 16 to 20 patients that need higher levels of care. We’re not talking about just assisted living. We’re talking about designated supported living level force, which is just one step away from long-term care, where people need 24-7 care.

“The acuity of the residents that people are dealing with has increased, and yet the staffing levels continuously decreased, and that leaves residents at risk and our members unable to do their jobs,” she said.

Frontline reports suggest 95 per cent of Alberta’s assisted living facilities don’t have the levels of staffing required to provide at least minimally appropriate levels of care, Azocar said.

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“There’s an increase of lack of appropriate care in all of these facilities, where we’re seeing so many things that just leave people without dignity, not being able to be attended to when they need help because of the lack of staff.”

Alberta’s aging population

According to government calculations, by 2046 one in five Albertans will be 65 years of age or older and, over the next 10 years, the demand for continuing care in Alberta is projected to grow by 80 per cent as people live longer and with more complex needs.

A partial list of health care leaders tapped by the province as transition committee members includes Feisal Keshavjee of the?Alberta?Continuing Care Association; Karen McDonald, Healthy Aging?Alberta; David Weyant, Alberta?Lawyers Indemnity Association; Andrea Hesse, Alberta?Council for Disability Services; and Irene Martin-Lindsay,?Alberta?Seniors and Community Housing Association.

The Alberta government has named Assisted Living Alberta as the last of four new public health agencies taking over provincial health care from Alberta Health Services. Jason Nixon is seen during a news conference in Calgary on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020.
The Alberta government has named Assisted Living Alberta as the last of four new public health agencies taking over provincial health care from Alberta Health Services. Jason Nixon is seen during a news conference in Calgary on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020. Photo by Todd Korol /The Canadian Press

Jason Nixon, minister of seniors, community and social services, said the new agency will ensure the province is well-positioned to meet the future needs of Alberta’s growing and aging population.

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“This change ensures Albertans have access to a full range of wraparound supports to meet their evolving needs and maintain their independence and quality of life as they age or require more support,” Nixon said.

Assisted Living Alberta will become fully operational by fall 2025 and will line up medical and non-medical supports and services, increase continuing care spaces, reduce wait times, and provide comprehensive “wraparound” supports for Albertans, he said.

“Americanization” of public services: NDP

Alberta NDP MLA Sarah Hoffman, the party’s critic for health, said the UCP government seems to be playing from a familiar playbook.

“What actually people want are more long-term care, supportive living spaces for people that they love, and more staff working in each of those spaces, (so they) can have dignity and live a good quality life,” Hoffman told Postmedia. “And instead, what they’re doing is floating out policy framework announcements and plans to make plans and logos that doesn’t actually ensure that the people we love are having a dignified life and a safe place to live.

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“They should be focused more on providing good quality care and expanding the number of staff and spaces, but they are focused way more on rebranding exercises.”

Hoffman said the province is moving forward on “Americanization” of public services.

“What they fundamentally believe is that they want private two-tier health care for those who can afford it and pay for it, and everyone else can do without social services, particularly public health care. Everyone deserves to ensure that they have the right care in the right place at the right time when they’re sick, not to have to pull out their credit card and see if they have enough money to be able to pay for it,” Hoffman said.

Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare, said drastically restructuring health care administration does nothing to address worsening care standards and working conditions in facilities and in-home care.

Citing Protection for Persons in Care (PPC) 2023-2024 report’s troubling finding that cases of abuse in continuing care more than tripled compared to the previous year, he chided the provincial government’s decision not to bring back a dedicated independent seniors’ advocate.

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Instead of adopting guidelines for national long-term care standards, the government removed mandated minimum hours of care per resident per day, Gallaway said.

“(The) announcement continues to allow private corporations to profit off of the care needs of Albertans, with absolutely no accountability to the public or their workers,” he said.

jcarmichael@postmedia.com

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