Privatization of long-term care a flawed policy, report says

A new report by the Parkland Institute callson the Alberta government to reverse its policy of allowing for-profit companies to run the provinces long-term care homes.

From Bad to Worse: Residential elder care in Alberta found that these facilities are understaffed by 90 minutes of care per resident each day.

Thats an hour and a half of care missing every day in for-profit facilities for Alberta residents in care, said Parkland Institute research director Shannon Stunden Bower, who wrote the report with David Campanella.

Stunden Bower says the province needs to recognize that using private companies to run seniors homes is a flawed policy.

Privatization does not seem to be the way to go if youre interested in quality of care for Alberta elders, she said.

Stunden Bower says the Alberta government should mandate increased staffing levels in for-profit facilities, and join other provinces in pushing Ottawa to publicly fund long-term care for seniors.