N.S. Politicians Focused On Standards Of Care In Facilities Like Northwood
HALIFAX – The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the public’s attention to a branch of healthcare that is often ignored and forgotten: long-term care. The spotlight has been particularly bright in Halifax, where Northwood Manor has been an epicentre for coronavirus.
So far, this long-term care home has seen 345 cases of Covid-19 between staff and residents and 53 residents have died. The Nova Scotia government recently announced an inquiry into the deaths at Northwood. That inquiry, however, will not be public.
Across Canada, there have been similar stories of seniors infected with Covid-19 and it has sparked debate about the future of long-term care. One of the issues being debated is whether non-government entities should continue providing the care, or if the government should take direct control.
Currently, a mixture of private companies and not-for-profit entities, such as Northwood, are contracted out by the government to operate facilities. Whether or not the provincial government should take full control of operations is a tricky political topic.
Tim Houston, leader of the opposition Progressive Conservatives in Nova Scotia, says it’s a question that distracts from the real issue.
“For me, the important question is not only public vs private. Rather, the question must be about the level of care at all facilities,” said Houston in a written statement. “Public or private is an argument that distracts the focus at a time when the focus must remain on making sure that our seniors are living in homes that are properly supported and able to provide an appropriate level of care.”
“When the standard of care is not met, we need to understand why. That’s why I’ve called for a public inquiry into what happened at Northwood. It is only a public inquiry that will shine the light on the gaps in our long-term care sector.”
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In an interview with Huddle Today, provincial NDP leader Gary Burrill also did not say whether he thinks non-government entities should be allowed to run long-term care centres. Instead, he focussed on the idea of putting these homes under a national standard. Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh made a similar statement back in May.
“In general, I think the overarching point that Jagmeet Singh has made about the long-term care sector, it should be brought under the administration of the Canada Health Act,” said Burrill. “I think this is the core truth that needs to be accounted for at this moment.”
In a written statement to Huddle Today, Northwood spokesman Murray Stanton said the non-profit was formed in 1962 to meet a need in the community, and complies with standards established by the province. The statement also says that Northwood provides a lot of services not funded by the provincial government.
“Northwood offers a continuum of services including Long Term Care, Home Support Services. These programs are funded by government and must adhere to program standards established by the Department of Health and Wellness,” reads the statement.
“Other programs that are not funded by government include Affordable Retirement Living, Adult Day Programs, Intouch Program, Health Centre, Community based programs and volunteer services. Northwood offers several of our services through our campuses in Halifax and Bedford. All buildings on these campuses are owned and operated by Northwood.”
Burrill says the NDP has been focussed on issues in long-term care for several years. He points the finger at the governing Liberals for not investing enough resources into the sector, saying no new beds have been opened since 2013.
“It left people who should be living in long-term care waiting long periods… (and) living in hospitals without the nursing home amenities they needed,” said Burrill.
“Every decision not to build a new long-term care facility… is a decision that has left dozens and dozens of long-term care residents living in the older designed model facilities.”
Burrill said the older designed models are a big problem because it leaves multiple residents living in a room together. He believes the spread of Covid-19 could have been slowed if all residents in nursing homes had a room to themselves.
“Multiple shared occupancy plays a very influential role in the transmission of the virus and infection control,” he said.
Burrill also criticized the current healthcare funding agreement between Nova Scotia and the federal government, saying it doesn’t take into account the province’s demographics. He pointed out that Nova Scotia may have a small population, but it costs more to provide healthcare to the aging populous. And more money is desperately needed soon to tackle a lot of problems in long-term care.
“For us in Nova Scotia, the critical facilities problem for long-term care at the moment is that we have a lot of community-operated, non-profit, and publicly owned nursing homes in Nova Scotia, which are in desperate need of capital investment.”
Huddle Today reached out to the Department of Health and Wellness for comment but didn’t get a response by deadline.