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REPORT: Briefing Report: Investigating Real Registered Nurse Staffing Levels in Ontario’s Long-Term Care Homes
Posted: April 7, 2021
(April 7, 2021)
While acuity levels in Ontario’s LTC homes have risen for decades, daily hands-on care levels have been generally static and even have declined over the last 14 years. Shortages of daily hands-on care staff, including RNs and PSWs were significant and problematic before the pandemic, but have worsened through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Knowing this, the Ontario Health Coalition decided in November 2020 to begin collecting data and writing an investigative report on real RN staffing levels in Ontario LTC homes. The question we asked was simple: is there at least a single RN on staff 24/7 in the LTC home?
What we found was a lack of transparency around information that is generally easily accessible in the industry. However, with a bit of leg work and the help of our community, we found that as many as one in three homes did not have a single RN on staff on a 24/7 basis. The lack of adequate staffing in Ontario LTC homes has serious implications for resident safety, quality of care, and outcomes.
