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County plans to hire dozens to fill gap at local long-term care homes

New Home Services Assistants would be responsible to assist with dietary needs, cleaning and running programming in four county-owned homes
long term care
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With personal support workers in short supply and many long-term care operators looking for innovative ways to attract new workers to the sector, the County of Simcoe is looking at adding a new, temporary position to their long-term care ranks to help ease the strain.

During County of Simcoe council’s Tuesday morning committee of the whole meeting, councillors were presented with a way to fill that gap by creating a new position of Home Services Assistant at their four county-owned sites.

According to the staff report, about 40 shifts per day will need to be filled now that staffers who were redeployed during the COVID-19 pandemic, who had been doing the work since the pandemic began, will be slowly returning to their previous jobs.

“The new position of Home Services Assistant was built on the essential work completed by redeployed staff, with the potential for these staff to learn valuable skills that could be applied to PSW credentials in the future,” wrote Asa Klint Piggott, supervisor of project management and decision support with the county, in her report to council.

When COVID-19 hit, about 150 County of Simcoe staffers volunteered to be redeployed to essential areas such as long-term care.

Responsibilities of the redeployed staffers in long-term care included assisting dietary and cleaning staff, helping residents with virtual visits, family visits and implementing resident activities, housekeeping, laundry and maintenance. These responsibilities would be taken up by the new home services assistants.

“This will not only provide the County of Simcoe’s long-term care and seniors services department with the needed staff resources required due to COVID-19, it also enables the ongoing training of a needed PSW workforce for the future,” wrote Piggott.

“There are many reports provincially and locally that have spoken to the PSW shortage that exists in Ontario and across the nation. Through developing this new positions and collaborating with local colleges, we hope to alleviate some of the local challenges we are facing,” she noted.

The new position would be for 7.5 hours per day, at $23.36 per hour and includes benefits at 28 per cent.

The county’s four long-term care homes are Georgian Village in Penetanguishene, Trillium Manor in Orillia, Sunset Manor in Collingwood and Simcoe Village and Manor in Beeton.

According to the report, Georgian Manor needs nine shifts per day filled, Georgian Village needs 4.5, Simcoe Manor needs eight, Simcoe Village needs two, Sunset Manor needs eight and Trillium Manor needs nine.

According to the report, the daily cost of the entry-level Home Services Assistant for 40.5 shifts per day is $9,082.

“We will certainly maximize any of the dedicated COVID funding we have already received from government to support these positions in 2020,” said Jane Sinclair, general manager of health and emergency services with the county.

“For next year, we have included these potential costs for our proposed 2021 budget considerations, however, are hopeful that the province will provide funding to support any additional costs over and above our current funding.”

The county is also actively recruiting for vacancies that currently exist for dietary aids, personal support workers, registered practical nurses and social workers.

Council’s committee of the whole voted to recommend starting recruitment for the new, temporary positions. The decision will need to be ratified at the Sept. 22 meeting.

According to the staff report, if ratified, staff anticipate filling the full requirement for 40.5 shifts per day will not occur until later this year.


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Jessica Owen

About the Author: Jessica Owen

Jessica Owen is an experienced journalist working for Village Media since 2018, primarily covering Collingwood and education.
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