On Wednesday May 11, in Question Period I asked when the government will increase staffing levels in personal care homes in Manitoba. A lengthy report by the Manitoba Association of Residential and Community Care Homes for the Elderly shows that staffing levels should be increased from 3.67 hours of care per resident per day to 4.1. Several weeks after my question, the government finally acted, but only increased staffing levels of 3.8, which is too low.
Personal-Care-Home
Regulations and Funding
Stevenson Report Recommendations
Hon. Jon Gerrard (River
Heights): Madam Speaker, violence in personal-care
homes, as described by Gretchen Marasigan-Esteva, is occurring in part due to
a shortage of staff.
The Stevenson
report called for staffing levels and salaries to be appropriate to the
complexity of current and future residents. This means Manitoba needs to move
from 3.6 to a minimum of 4.1 paid hours of care per resident per day, as the
March report demonstrated.
Though
this deficit has existed for many years, the NDP did not act and the government
of today has not yet implemented the changes, even though it was a Stevenson
report recommendation.
When
will the Province ensure that changes needed in regulations and in funding
are made?
Hon. Scott Johnston (Minister
of Seniors and Long-Term Care): I appreciate the member's
question.
The
member is accurate. This government has adopted all 17 recommendations of
the Stevenson report, and it is our intention to initiate all of those
17 reports. Staffing is part of that. Bedside service is part of
that.
However,
there is going to be a process of negotiation to be able to accomplish that,
and that's exactly what we are proceeding with. Good news will come.
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