THUNDER BAY – A shortage of personal support workers has slowed efforts to open the final stage of the 544-bed Hogarth Riverview Manor.
St. Joseph’s Care Group is tentatively targeting May 13 as the re-opening date for the original wing of the long-term care home, which was expanded from its initial 96-resident occupancy to now be able to house 128 residents.
The original wing, which was initially targeted to be completed by the end of last year before being pushed back to April and now on track to open a month later, would complete the 416-bed addition that was opened to residents in January 2016.
Tracy Buckler, president and chief executive officer of St. Joseph’s Care Group, said all physical work on the building has been completed but the organization needs to fill personal support worker positions to welcome residents into the units.
“We will not open our beds until we have sufficient staffing,” Buckler said on Friday, adding the number of workers they have now will only allow them to open half of the 128 beds immediately. “We need to ensure we are providing the most quality, resident-centred care.”
The struggle to have an adequate number of personal support workers is not just limited to St. Joseph’s Care Group, Buckler said, noting there are a number of different career opportunities within that field.
“There’s a shortage of personal support workers not only in the city but in the Northwest region,” Buckler said. “I would suggest it’s not only city, not only Northwestern Ontario but actually provincial.”
The organization has been working with Confederation College and other educational partners to help recruit personal support workers to fill the gaps, even going so far as establishing bursaries to help reduce barriers to education.
A long-term care facility needs personal support workers to operate, Buckler said.
“The bulk of the long-term care staffing is PSWs. PSWs are the backbone of long-term care,” Buckler said. “They do the frontline work, they know the residents well.”
Last November, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care had placed a temporary cease of admissions order against Hogarth Riverview Manor, halting the acceptance of new residents until January when the organization fulfilled the mandated requirements.
The completion of The Link, which will connect Hogarth Riverview Manor and the Sister Leila Greco apartments, is nearing completion and Buckler said it is expected to be operational in a matter of months.
