Local NDP candidate critical of Saskatchewan assessment report on long-term care facilities

“I think provincial decisions have fallen short in providing safe adequate care,” she said.

The Saskatchewan NDP released a report June 2 that indicated $3.5 billion in repairs are needed to restore the condition of many Saskatchewan Health facilities. That is over $1 billion more worth of repair costs than the $2.2 billion estimated in 2013.

The NDP report indicated many facilities across the province are crumbling and understaffed, according to NDP Health Critic Vicki Mowat.

On the issue of maintenance repairs needed, Stewart said more work must be done to improve the situation.

“I know in the Battlefords some of our facilities have been on the list for repairs and upgrades for years, and it just doesn’t get done,” Stewart said. “It feels as though in order to appease the requests the government will do one small gesture.”

She said it seems as though the province is saying, “We did this so now cut us some slack.”

Stewart added many facilities are old and rundown, and need to be updated.

“If I had family that were in one of those facilities I would want them to be in a safe environment to feel comfortable and for it to be a nurturing environment,” she said. “When you are in a facility that has holes in walls and broken down ramps it’s distressing for the people that are there.”

In the local area, the report indicated for the Battlefords District Care Centre new equipment was appreciated by residents and family, but a resident was concerned about a hole in the sunny side room on Ward 5. As well, family were concerned about resident evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency.

The report assessment for North Battleford’s River Heights Lodge indicated on the positive side family felt there was good collaboration between nursing and physician staff to care for patients. However, in areas needing improvement it was stated that staff-turnover results in poor consistency in care; residents indicated they would like to be able to access more than one bath per week. It was also mentioned that extended periods of outbreak precautions are difficult on residents.

On the bathing issue, Stewart said she does not believe the responsibility falls on the staff working at this site or any of the care facilities in the Battlefords.

“I think the responsibility falls on leadership, to ensure that we are providing better care,” she said. “Lack of access to bathing is not something caused by staff at the facility, that they are not doing their job. This is a result of chronic understaffing in our-long term care homes.”

On extended periods of outbreak precautions being difficult for patients, Stewart said the issue dates back to prior COVID-19.

She said better communication is needed for reasons outbreak precautions were delayed for residents and their families.

On the COVID-19 situation emerging in Saskatchewan, she said, it was a challenge for all facilities.

“I know as COVID-19 erupted in the province, we have never been through this before,” Stewart said. “So there was a learning curve. But there is no reason that there should have been a delay in outbreak precautions [being implemented], especially because the people living in those facilities are the most vulnerable to COVID-19.”

Stewart said the report should have included more voices from front-line staff who work in the facilities and residents who live there.

“It should be prepared by an independent auditor on a yearly basis,” she said. “It seems as though when an issue is brought forward in the public, then there is a reactive response. I think by having a yearly report and a yearly site visit to these facilities we could be more proactive in our care.”

When reached by battlefordsNOW, Battlefords MLA Herb Cox was not immediately available for comment.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

by Angela Brown

Local NDP candidate critical of Saskatchewan assessment report on long-term care facilities

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