George Brown College welcomed Ontario Minister of Long-Term Care Rod Phillips to our Waterfront Campus, where he announced new funding to increase staffing levels at long-term care homes across the province.
Phillips made the announcement on October 6 at the Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences, where he also toured our facilities with Personal Support Worker students.
The provincial government will provide up to $270 million this year to increase staffing at long-term care facilities. Phillips also said the government will pass legislation to ensure long-term care residents receive at least four hours of direct care.
The minister was welcomed by George Brown College President Dr. Gervan Fearon, who highlighted the important role the college plays in training essential workers.
“For more than 20 years, we have been preparing Ontario’s PSWs (personal support workers) with workplace-ready skills,” he said. “Throughout the pandemic, we have all seen the essential role that PSWs play in caring for seniors, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations – but we have also heard about critical staffing shortages.”
To address staffing shortages, George Brown launched the following key initiatives over the course of the pandemic:
- Developed an innovative approach to PSW education in cooperation with The Rekai Centres with a blocked placement residency model to provide students with hands-on experience.
- Participated in one of Ontario’s largest PSE recruitment and training drives with an accelerated, tuition-free program funded by the provincial government.
- Launched a first-of-its-kind Interprofessional Complex and Long-Term Care postgraduate program specifically designed for online delivery.
- Increased capacity in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Practical Nursing programs, thanks to an investment from the provincial government.
“We know that more qualified staff means more daily care for residents,” Phillips said. “Hiring more staff is part of our government’s plan to fix long-term care and to improve the quality of care residents receive and the quality of life they experience.”
