Ontario's non-profit nursing homes are being overcharged by nursing agencies, a long-term care association said Tuesday.
AdvantAge Ontario said the homes are spending tens of millions of dollars on temporary nurses and that places the province's target of four hours of care per day per resident by 2025 in jeopardy.Non-profit nursing homes across the province have had to turn to these agencies because competition for nurses and personal support workers is fierce across the entire health-care system as it grapples with a staffing shortage.
The survey also found that 28 per cent of registered nurse positions, 16 per cent of registered practical nurse positions, and 12 per cent of personal support worker positions were unfilled per day.“Staffing shortages have been exacerbated over time during the last couple of years, and some staffing agencies have taken advantage of this situation and have been price gouging,” she said.“The Ministry of Long-Term Care is listening, but they haven't taken any action,” Levin said.
“I think that's going to be in jeopardy unless this situation with the agency rates is addressed because we won't be able to provide as many hours of care if the homes have to use more and more temporary staff,” Levin said.That is more than double the usual $43 hourly rate, AdvantAge said. One agency charged $150 per hour for the same position.
Steven Harrison, the CEO of Tri-County Mennonite Homes that operates a nursing homes in Stratford, Ont., and New Hamburg, Ont., said the costs for temporary nurses and personal support workers is “taking their toll.”This year, Tri-County Mennonite Homes plans to spend about $3 million on agency staffing, 20 times more than they paid before COVID-19 arrived, Harrison said.“If we were able to hire nurses and personal support workers, it would only be about 60 per cent of that,” Harrison said.
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