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Letter: Canada's long-term care crisis didn't start with COVID-19

Editor: What has happened in many long-term care homes across the country is a tragedy that has been years in the making. COVID-19 has caused many vulnerable seniors, their families and their caregivers to suffer.
long-term care
The crisis in Canada's long-term care homes didn't start with COVID-19.

Editor:

What has happened in many long-term care homes across the country is a tragedy that has been years in the making.

COVID-19 has caused many vulnerable seniors, their families and their caregivers to suffer. It deserves national action! 7,000 seniors died in long-term care homes from COVID-19, 80% of all COVID-19 deaths in Canada.

The alarm has been sounded for years about the condition of long-term care homes. Study after study has shown that we need to do more to improve long-term care. They should be run as part of our publicly funded health care system. They should not operate on a for-profit basis by corporations that are more concerned with making money for their shareholders than they are with caring for those who live in the home.

We know what is needed from governments - federal and provincial to work together to ensure this never happens again and that seniors and other residents in long-term care homes must be able to live safely and with dignity.

Diane Wood, president
B.C. Federation of Retired Union Members (BC FORUM)