P.E.I. long-term care COVID-19 response reasonable, but harmful to residents: report

A long-awaited report into how Prince Edward Island handled the COVID-19 pandemic in its long-term care homes says that while the province’s response was reasonable, it was too severe in its impact on residents.

Long-term care homes saw some of the harshest effects of the pandemic, both in terms of restrictions and deaths, but the arms-length probe of the response focuses more on the harms done by extreme infection control measures.

“Keeping people safe is the objective, but not at all costs,” said Michele Dorsey, review panel chair.

The report authors acknowledge the deaths in long-term care, but doesn't focus on them, instead looking at how standards of care fell under infection control measures, pandemic staffing shortages, and the effect of extreme isolation.

The report says the measures were reasonable, but recommends against ever using such extreme measures again, even in another pandemic.

“Big blanket rules that we put in place during these times of pandemic need to be more nuanced,” said Dorsey. “We need to respect the right of people to live with a little bit of risk in their own homes.”

The report outlines 17 recommendations in four key areas: resident-centered care, infection control, workforce recovery, and oversight.

The province accepted the report when they received it in August. Officials say they're already acting on it by creating a new Long Term Care Sector Council, expected within the next couple of months.

“To help work on the recommendations. That’s their role, is to collaborate and then inform, develop, implement the recommendations,” said Christina Phillips, director of Seniors Health. “We need them right from the get go.”

One of the biggest takeaways from the report was wide gaps in care standards across the long-term care industry. The report calls for sweeping regulatory changes to bring all homes up to the same standard.

The report is still new and officials say it will take years to develop the plans to follow its recommendations, but it’s hoped that it will improve the long-term care situation on the island well into the future.

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