Dear Editor:
The failure to keep the COVID-19 virus out of long-term care homes shows that a better system of care needs to be developed.
Most of the people who die from the virus are associated with long-term care homes. Workers are bringing the virus in. Warehousing dozens and in some homes hundreds of vulnerable people in one building was a recipe for the disaster we see unfolding in Ontario today. How can we prevent this horror?
One idea that may work is to pay relatives to care for their elders at home. This is an option in the U.S. Of course, the pay must be adequate and respite available.
Another option may be to severely restrict the size of long-term care homes and make them all not-for-profit accountable to the residents and/or their guardians.
Some may say this will cost too much, but look at the result of warehousing the elderly today. Our freedom is severely restricted. Our health-care system is under siege. Our economy is partly shut down. Businesses are bankrupt and the country’s debt has ballooned. Our great great grandchildren will be paying for this.
We need to think hard about this as we all get old, but thinking also needs to result in action to create a better system of care.
Jane Vandervliet,
Erin