Status of Situation 2021 (country: Canada)

In the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, the Government of Canada committed to establishing a new Safe Long-term Care Fund that will provide up to $1 billion to help the provinces and territories protect people living and working in long-term care. Provinces and territories will be able to use this funding to undertake a range of activities, including carrying out infection prevention and control readiness assessments, making improvements to ventilation and hiring additional staff or topping up wages. Through the Safe Restart Agreement, the Government of Canada is providing provincial/territorial governments with over $19 billion that will help them restart the economy over the coming months, while making Canada more resilient to future surges in cases of COVID-19. This includes $740 million in funding to support our most vulnerable populations, including infection prevention and control measures to protect those in long-term care, and those receiving home care and palliative care. Additional funding commitments were made to support infection and prevention and control measures in long-term care, including $1 million to engage with third parties to help identify resources to conduct readiness assessments in long-term care facilities and support training on infection prevention and control.

Up to $3 billion in federal funding has been provided to provinces and territories to support increased wages of low-income essential workers, which can include front-line workers in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has published guidance to support the care of residents in long-term care facilities, as well as for infection prevention and control in long-term care, assisted-living facilities, and home care. This guidance was developed with the National Advisory Committee on Infection Prevention and Control and endorsed by the Pan-Canadian Special Advisory Committee. The guidance recognizes the contribution of families, caregivers and friends, and the need to balance meeting the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs of residents with the risk of introduction and transmission of COVID-19. For more information about these documents: Infection prevention and control for COVID-19: Interim guidance for long term care homes Interim guidance: Care of residents in long term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Government of Canada is committing $38.5 million over two years to support training up to 4,000 personal support worker interns through an accelerated 6-week online training program combined with a 4-month work placement, to address acute labour shortages in long-term care and home care.