COVID-19 Rates Higher in For-Profit Long Term Care Homes

According to a recent report by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at Ryerson University in Toronto, over 3,300 deaths have occurred in long-term care homes due to COVID-19, accounting for 82 per cent of the total fatalities in Canada.

New data from the Ontario Health Coalition shows that for-profit long term care homes have a much higher death rate than non-profit homes, and in publicly-owned (municipal) homes, the death rate is actually declining. 

The disproportionate death rates between long term care homes is medically unacceptable. Government action is urgently needed to legislate policy that protects both residents and health workers. We remain committed to demanding governmental action to contain the spread of COVID-19 in all homes by implementing 7 permanent paid sick days plus an additional 14 paid days during public health crises. 

Read more about the dangers of for-profit nursing homes here.

Media Update

With no income if they become too ill to work, staff at care facilities face an impossible situation. Febe Jimenez says that workers are expected to stay home and self-quarantine, but at personal cost. “Whenever I’m sick for a day or two, it’s unpaid,” she explains. 

Read and share the article on Twitter here.

"It is now abundantly evident, as never before, that the universal right of workers to paid sick leave is an essential element of a comprehensive public health protection program." 

Like B.C., Ontario has no legislated paid sick days. This article explores why paid emergency days are essential to protecting public health. Share on Instagram here.