Long-term-care employee raises concerns in system, province says its 'confident' in providers

Specimens to be tested for COVID-19 are seen at LifeLabs after being logged upon receipt at the company's lab, in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 26, 2020. (Darryl Dyck)

Dave Forbes recently quit his job at a local long-term care facility over what he alleges was a failure to enforce protocols designed to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Forbes, who worked at the facility for three years, claims testing and masking recommendations were not being followed properly during a two-week outbreak at the facility – which is classified as a home for people with "highly complex, unpredictable medical needs."

During an outbreak, Alberta Health Services (AHS) recommendations include that residents with symptoms or confirmed infections are isolated, staff continuously mask and visitors wear face protection (mask and eye protection) within two metres of an infected patient.

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The facility claims the allegations are untrue, and an email between the provider and AHS shows five long-term-care residents were involved in the outbreak at the time the site was reviewed on Oct. 30 to confirm protocols were being followed.

In the email, AHS said it found that staff were wearing masks, high-touch areas were being cleaned once per shift, and that proper signage and masks were available at the entrance, among other things.

AHS said it has not received any complaints regarding infection protocols at that facility.

Public Interest Alberta executive director Bradley Lafortune said there is a "culture of silence" in long-term care.

"It really begs the question … What is really being done to ensure that when there is an outbreak … that it is being handled properly and other people aren't getting sick?"

While he couldn't speak to COVID-19 outbreak concerns specifically, Lafortune said families often reach out to the advocacy organization with worries over the quality of care their loved ones receive in long-term-care facilities.

Results from a Health Quality Council of Alberta survey released in April found less than a quarter of residents of long-term-care facilities felt there were enough nurses and aids working during the previous three months.

Residents also reported that staff were available to help when needed less than 50 per cent of the time during the week, dropping to less than 40 per cent of the time on weekends.

While staffing was a key priority identified as needing improvement in the survey, the 2024 Continuing Care Act removed previously legislated minimums for hours of care per day.

The province said the new legislation funds 3.62 hours per day of care per resident, up from the previous 1.9 hours. However, the legislation does not include any mandatory minimums for how many hours of care are actually provided.

Lafortune points out that Alberta also no longer has a seniors advocate, after the United Conservative Party (UCP) rolled the position into the health advocates office shortly in late 2019.

He would like the advocates office reinstated, as well as legislated and enforceable minimums for how many hours of care residents at long-term-care facilities receive.

"Seniors deserve better. They deserve to live in dignity. These are people who have built this province, and they're our loved ones," he said. "This is a life-and-death situation. We really want to see the minister taking this seriously and not just slough it off and say that we've got it in hand."

Jason Nixon, the minister of seniors, community and social services, said he was unaware of any issues at the facility in question. He said the province is confident in the regulations and confident that providers "have this all under control."

He said providers are required to follow the protocols outlined and that they are audited on a regular basis during licensing work.

In 2023, there were 16,212 long-term-care beds contracted or operated by AHS.

The province says AHS carries out a "range of inspections," including risk-based and follow-ups to required mandatory reporting.