Cuts to nursing homes hurt residents, families and staff

Recently retired worker tells how cuts to became too hard to witness

EDMONTON – The recent 3% cut to nursing home funding is causing resident care to deteriorate and higher stress among staff, NDP leader Brian Mason said today, while joined at a news conference a veteran long-term care worker.

“Ed Stelmach’s push to privatize long-term care has grim implications for residents and their caregivers,” Mason said. “They will continue to suffer until government restores proper funding for long-term care.”

Loretta Raiter, a health care aide who retired after working 27 years at Salem Manor in Leduc, shares her experiences of how funding cuts have affected resident care.

“I could no longer handle the stress and the guilt I was bringing home at night, knowing we could not give residents the care they needed and deserved,” said Raiter.

She said government funding cuts resulted in staff reductions, and cost-cutting policies that reduce the dignity of residents, including wearing diapers until they are completely saturated and the use of powdered meal replacements.

“Staff aren’t supposed to change diapers until they are fully saturated, even if it sometimes means putting a wet diaper back on a resident after bathing,” Raiter said.

Mason said Alberta’s LTC facilities are at risk of becoming more like warehouses than actual homes for seniors.

"These cuts mean seniors who need care aren’t treated with the dignity they deserve,” Mason said.

“More and more residents are referred to as ‘clients’ who are ‘delivered’ services. It’s a cold way to treat the people who helped make this province great.”

“Funding needs to be restored so that long-term care facilities can employ the number of staff necessary to provide residents with the full spectrum of health and personal care they need and deserve.”