Inside the home care crisis: Exposing a broken system (Marketplace)

Summary

This investigative documentary explores Canada's struggling home care system, focusing on the challenges faced by personal support workers (PSWs) and the impact on patients. Amid profit-driven companies like ParaMed and Bayshore, clients experience neglect, missed visits, and poor care. The video highlights the disparity between for-profit and public home care models, questioning the Ontario government's prioritization of nursing homes over home care. Drawing comparisons with Denmark, where home care is more effectively supported, the piece emphasizes the urgent need for systemic change to ensure dignity, better working conditions for PSWs, and more effective care for Canadians.

Takeaways

• 😀 Home care in Canada is in crisis, with many patients experiencing neglect and missed visits due to profit-driven systems.
• 😀 Personal Support Workers (PSWs) are undervalued, earning as little as $16.50 an hour, despite their crucial role in caring for vulnerable individuals at home.
• 😀 Many home care companies, like ParaMed, prioritize profits over quality care, leading to missed visits and poor working conditions for staff.
• 😀 Ontario's home care system is underfunded compared to long-term care, despite evidence that home care is more cost-effective and preferred by most seniors.
• 😀 For-profit home care companies are making significant profits, with ParaMed earning nearly 32 million dollars, but the care provided is often subpar.
• 😀 A significant portion of home care workers' time is unpaid, including time spent traveling between clients or communicating with them outside scheduled hours.
• 😀 The system is plagued by double-booking of appointments, resulting in PSWs being unable to provide adequate care to clients.
• 😀 Clients often face emotional distress and neglect, as many home care visits are missed without notification, leaving families to manage care themselves.
• 😀 Home care systems in Canada lack proper oversight, with companies not required to report missed visits, and complaints often go unresolved.
• 😀 In contrast, Denmark's home care system emphasizes prevention and independence, providing up to 10 hours of care a day, while Canadian systems provide far less.

Q & A

What is the main issue addressed in this transcript?

The transcript highlights the ongoing crisis in Canada's home care system, focusing on issues related to for-profit companies providing inadequate care, underpaid personal support workers (PSWs), and the lack of governmental support for home care compared to the investment in nursing homes.

Why does Erica believe that the home care system is broken?

Erica believes the system is broken because it is profit-driven rather than client-focused. She highlights missed visits, inconsistent care, and the exploitation of workers as major issues. The system fails to support both the workers and the clients who depend on proper home care.

How do for-profit home care companies impact the quality of care?

For-profit companies often cut costs by providing subpar care, such as sending workers without the necessary skills, missing scheduled visits, and offering insufficient training for staff. This results in diminished care for vulnerable clients.

What are the working conditions for PSWs in Ontario's home care system?

PSWs in Ontario's home care system are paid low wages, starting at $16.50 per hour, and are only compensated for the time spent with clients, not for travel or time spent communicating with clients. Many PSWs are overworked and face double-booked schedules.

What financial discrepancy exists between home care and other types of care?

Home care is more cost-effective than hospital or long-term care. It costs less than $100 per day for a high-needs home care patient, while hospital care costs over $700 per day and long-term care costs about $200 per day.

What solution does Dr. Samir Sinha propose for improving the home care system?

Dr. Sinha proposes investing more in home care instead of building more nursing homes. He advocates for a shift toward supporting in-home care, which is both more cost-effective and aligned with the preferences of many Canadians.

How does the approach to home care in Ontario compare to that of Denmark?

Denmark has a more successful home care system, focusing on preventive care and supporting people to age in place. The Danish government has shifted resources away from building nursing homes and invested heavily in high-quality, publicly funded home care, which includes up to 10 hours of home care per day for those who need it.

What is the impact of missed home care visits on clients?

Missed visits can have serious consequences for clients, including neglect and deterioration of health. Clients like Penny Moore have experienced weeks without proper care, and some are left to manage on their own in unsafe conditions, further highlighting the system's inadequacy.

What happens when clients complain about missed home care visits?

Clients often struggle to get a response when they complain about missed visits. Companies like ParaMed do not track missed visits properly, and clients are often left unheard. Complaints may be ignored, or responses may take months, exacerbating the lack of accountability in the system.

What was the response of the Ontario government to the issues raised by health care workers and advocates?

The Ontario government has committed significant funding to build new long-term care beds, but critics argue that this approach focuses too much on developers and the private sector rather than addressing the need for home care. Experts like Dr. Sinha argue that more funds should be directed toward improving home care services instead.