Adopt new long-term care standards, MLA urges
CBC
Prince Edward Island's Official Opposition is calling on the province to adopt new national standards for long-term care homes, and put them into legislation.
The new standards for care were published Tuesday by the Health Standards Organization.
They are voluntary, but are meant to improve the quality of life for residents in long-term care homes across the country.
Green Party MLA Michele Beaton, the Opposition critic for health and wellness, says the province needs to implement enforceable mandates.
"When you legislate something, then it has to happen," she said.
"Even as it is today, we're not meeting the standards of care that are laid out today. So we have to legislate it in order to ensure that that will be followed through on."
The standards are part of a project launched by the federal government in the spring of 2021 to increase the quality of care in long-term facilities.
They address everything from preventing falls to maintaining flexible meal schedules, along with emergency plans and end-of-life care.
The standards project was created in response to the high rate of COVID-19 deaths, and reports of neglect and a poor quality of care across Canada, throughout the pandemic.
P.E.I. was no exception, as nursing homes struggled with staffing and resource shortages and challenges protecting residents from COVID-19.
The new national standards also point to the need to ensure residents can provide feedback and raise concerns, which Beaton said is essential.
"We actually have to have a system that wants to hear from them and that it is a safe environment. We've heard over and over again from residents and loved ones that they can't speak out because they're worried about reprisal."
Another set of national standards, focused on infrastructure in long-term care settings, was released in December.
It includes recommendations like having dedicated hand hygiene sinks and access to outdoor space for every level of a long-term care home.
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