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4- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 3, 2006 Daycares have better staff-to-client ratios Continued from page 1 check us out online at www.oakvillebeaver.com of 200-plus signatures and a request that he present it to his government on their behalf. Flynn added his signature to the top line of the petition and later read it out on the floor of the Legislature. (Halton MPP Ted Chudleigh also signed a second petition presented to him.) "Both have been very supportive," said Fleming. In recent years the government provided enough funding to increase the average time staff spent with each resident by five or six minutes a day for a total of 2.4 hours a day ­ still the lowest in Canada. Alberta's average, for example, is being increased to 3.4 hours. "We are speaking up because we are concerned that the government feels long term care issues have been addressed and the absence of a significant operating funding increase in the recent budget would suggest that is their thinking," said Fleming. "Obviously that is not the case when staff have 10 minutes, and sometimes less, to get residents up, dressed, to the bathroom and to the dining area for breakfast." Added Northridge Programs Manager Jane Hiller, who said daycares have a better ratio of staff to clients: "It's sad and it's bone-chilling. Long term care staff have had to do more with less for years." All too often there's not enough time to get residents to the bathroom when they need to go, so many have to wear diapers. One woman, true to the character of her generation, refused to be a bother to staff so she simply didn't drink anything all day, said Fleming. The OLTCA provided the petitions as an opportunity for Family Councils, Residents Councils and others to express their concerns over care and staffing levels. The requested funding would positively impact staffing in all long term care homes including funding 2,000 additional staff in OLTCA's 425 member homes across Ontario that provide care and accommodation services to over 49,000 residents. RN Evelyn Espinoza, who has worked at West Oak for more than three years (and often visits residents on her days off), said the facility is like her second home and it breaks her heart to witness the level of care. "We need additional staff," she said. "Without staff, the residents suffer." The lack of precious time also does not allow for staff to chat at any length so the important nuances of one-to-one human contact are lost. This, coupled with less physical activity, conspires to start the downward spiral of ill health, says Hiller. "Great care and the time to give great care are different," she said, explaining that residents now get two baths a week, up from once per week. Harry Smith, president of the Northridge Resident Council, said staff time is not much of a problem given his relative independence, but he's seen first-hand that others are not so fortunate. "I know this is a problem," he said. "There are always complaints, especially at mealtimes when people go hungry." While unhappy with government funding, no one interviewed for this story pointed the finger at staff, saying they are doing what they can under the circumstances. "Every day we see staff trying to do their best, but there just isn't enough of them to do what needs to be done," said Fleming. Paulette Chadwick, who has been visiting and advocating for her partially paralyzed mother in long term care facilities (including West Oak) for 14 years, agrees that staff are not to blame. "The Ministry knows how hard people work here," she said, agreeing with Smith that mealtimes are especially difficult. "I signed the petition to have my mother and all the others receive more attention. They need more staff." Chadwick's work schedule allows for her to visit her mother often (some people take leaves of absence), but she knows of many others who can't and that is upsetting. Fleming encourages anyone interested in volunteering to step forward to help with recreational activities, feeding, one-on-one visiting and more. At West Oak, call Margaret Douglas at 905-469-3294, ext. 230. West Oak Village Long Term Care Centre and Northridge Long Term Care Centre have been providing care and services to 133 residents each in north Oakville since September 2002. website worth visiting A foreveryoungnews.com