Dear Editor:
Ian Rice’s important observation – Elder care a priority?, Nov. 12 – that casual site assistants at waste disposal facilities are paid 25 per cent more than contract nursing assistants at Wellington Terrace demonstrates how badly we are missing the mark in terms of responding and adapting to the current pandemic.
As of Nov. 9, 10,564 Canadians have died from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Every one of these deaths has been tragic. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 80% of these deaths occurred in long term care (LTC) facilities.
To put this into perspective, out of a population of about 38 million people, excluding LTCs, 2,000 Canadians have died from the virus. Clearly, the elderly are being affected disproportionately, and our present program needs to be better. If we introduce specific, targeted health measures for seniors, it does not mean seniors are getting preferential treatment or have more rights; it means that, under the current program, more of them are dying. Equity shouldn’t be confused with equality.
In the context of targeted measures, our health authorities could learn something from the private sector. Some of the grocery stores provide seniors’ hours (sadly, others have abandoned this critically important practice.)
I thank the staff and management at the Zehrs store in Listowel every time I shop there in the early morning. It is likely that the store makes less profit when there are only a few seniors in the store, and so it is good to see a corporation act so responsibly.
It’s fair to ask why, in the midst of all the sometimes draconian measures imposed on us by Health Authorities, they wouldn’t require commercial establishments such as grocery stores, restaurants and retail stores to institute seniors hours across the board.
This would provide some protection for the most vulnerable (as would increasing the comparative wages, benefits and job security for nursing assistants at LTCs.)
Terence Rothwell
Wellington North