The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party is promising to hire 700 homecare staff to improve the lives of Saskatchewan seniors, at a cost of $50 million, according the NDP Leader Ryan Meili.
He made the announcement on Oct. 6 in Saskatoon.
Meili said that twice in the past two weeks while door knocking, he encountered homecare workers who are dealing with frustrations in their work. He said, 鈥淭hey know they want to be able to provide support but, what they're able to offer is so little. They have so little time in each home. But it's incredibly frustrating and they're constantly having staff turnover, as people who want to do the work are feeling like they can't really help people.
鈥淚 think of my own time as a family doctor, visiting my patients at a hospital and seeing entire wards full of patients who didn't need to be in the hospital. But they couldn't be home, because there wasn't enough home care and there wasn't space in long term care. I think the families we've spoken to are stretched and stressed, unable to afford the expensive private options and feeling overwhelmed and guilty, knowing that their parents and grandparents would be better off at home, but they're just unable to make it work.鈥�
Meili said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed problems in long-term care in Saskatchewan and across Canada. He added the Saskatchewan Party government has cut disability supports for seniors, hearing aid programs, the elimination of the STC bus services and made drugs less affordable under the drug plan.
He said the NDP would implement the 鈥淏est homecare in Canada by expanding what homecare offers, expanding those medical supports, but also supports like maintenance and meals, respite for families, so we can relieve pressure are overcrowded emergency rooms and our overburdened long-term care. And most importantly, that we can allow seniors to stay home longer, have the supports they need to thrive, to live independently and with dignity.
鈥淭hat's why we're here committing today to invest $50 million to bring in 700 homecare staff. We're talking about nursing staff, caretakers, cooks; good jobs that we need right now, and that will help seniors, to greatly expand the supports that are available and bring in the best home care in Canada. Give the seniors of Saskatchewan the support they need to age, at home, in dignity and independently and give families the confidence that their loved ones will have the care they need and deserve.鈥�
Meili said the Saskatchewan Party under Premier Scott Moe would bring in austerity and more cuts, while the NDP would 鈥渋nvest to put people first, with the best home care in Canada.鈥�
Health care isn鈥檛 the only issue, he noted, saying, 鈥淥ther things that make a difference in people staying home, whether they're able to maintain the home whether they able to have access to meals having that that mix of workers 鈥� will allow us to, to really offer those supports in a much greater way than we see anywhere else.鈥�
Meili committed $50 million to the initiative, which would allow for the hiring of approximately 200 certified care aides, 100 licenced practical nurses, 70 registered nurses, 100 caretakers, 40 carpenters, 50 cooks, 80 groundskeepers and 60 occupational therapists.
Addressing staff turnover levels, he called 鈥渙ut of this world,鈥� Meili said, 鈥淭hey're losing people all the time, by bringing in a wider range of supports and investing in the workers that are there already. That way, we're able to keep people around longer, because they'll actually enjoy the work. They'll know that they're going into those homes. And when they leave, they've made a difference in somebody's life, made it more possible for them to stay at home.鈥�
The money would come from the General Revenue fund, he said.
Meili added, 鈥淲hen you put this amount of money in homecare, you save much more in our hospitals. And in our long-term care, it's much less expensive to keep people at home. And at the same time, you improve the quality of care.鈥�
鈥淭here are people our of work, right now, who are able to do a lot of these jobs,鈥� he said.
Saskatoon Eastview NDP candidate Matt Love pointed to the recent replacement of the Saskatchewan Party candidate in that riding. He said, 鈥淭hey've taken the many, many seniors in this constituency for granted through repeated cuts to seniors care. I've been on the doorstep for a year and a half and seniors are telling me at the doors that they feel let down by the Sask.听 Party. All that they have to offer is more of the same. But we don't have to accept more of the same. It's time for change.鈥�
The announcement was held in the Saskatoon Eastview constituency, as it has one of the highest concentrations of seniors in the province.
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