Dozens of licensed practical nurses have been laid off and more layoffs are on the way, as a new funding model for continuing care centres in Alberta is set to go into effect this spring.
Forty-eight LPNs lost their jobs last month and CTV News has learned 19 more will be laid off within Good Samaritan centres.
The layoffs are raising concerns about the level of care in local senior centres.
“Our concern really is for the future of continuing care in Alberta,” said Linda Stanger, with the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta.
Stanger says licensed practical nurses are critical when it comes to the care of Alberta’s seniors.
“They are particularly well suited for the continuing care area,” she said. “They understand the aging process, dementia care, chronic care, they understand leadership.”
As of April 1, all of Alberta’s 178 continuing care centres will have to adhere to a new “patient-based” funding model, created by Alberta Health Services.
David O’Brien, senior vice president for primary and continuing care with Alberta Health Services, says the facilities have had three years to plan for the change.
“We’re going to make funding adjustments over fiscal periods, so four fiscal years,” O’Brien said.
“The funding is based on the needs of clients who are in the facilities at a certain point in the year.”
There are 36 centres that will see a funding adjustment because of overfunding they had previously been receiving before the new patient-based model came into effect.
Concerns over impact on quality of care
Stanger says the college is hearing LPNs are going to be replaced with health care aids, as a result of the funding adjustment.
She says health care aids aren’t trained to bring the same level of care, and that’s a cause for concern.
“To think that they could be replaced by someone with less than 4 months of education, seems odd to say the least,” she said.
The province maintains patient care won’t be compromised, adding every site will be required to meet specific requirements in how many nurses they have on site.
“We feel very confident that every site is going to be well-served with RNs and LPNs because we’re going to make sure they are,” O’Brien said.
“I don’t think that what we’re seeing is that they’re dropping to unacceptable levels. They’re just dropping down in that particular classification to the right level.”
O'Brien adds the new funding model actually means some centres will be receiving more money.
He says some facilities have been identified as being underfunded – which means they will get extra funding to put them in line with the new model.
'Tip of the ice berg'
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees says 200 of its members will be affected by layoffs or hour reductions in nursing and support jobs at Good Samaritan centres. That includes the layoff of 19 LPNs.
“Ultimately there will be fewer people at seniors’ bed sides providing care,” said Mark Wells with AUPE.
“As it is, people are stretched right now.”
Wells says he’s concerned this is just the beginning.
“This is just the tip of the ice berg. There certainly are going to be more layoffs in the future.”
There are about 10,000 LPNs in Alberta.
With files from Carmen Leibel
