Increased protection and enhanced supports for Saskatchewan’s seniors is what NDP leader Ryan Meili is asking for during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meili said more is needed from the provincial government in terms of direction, which is why his party is requesting three specific supports.
• Clear rules around physical distancing in seniors’ facilities to protect residents and staff, and clarity around the need for staff to use masks and other protective equipment.
• An injection of additional resources to allow facilities to hire staff to implement physical distancing and to provide support for residents facing social isolation.
• Resources for seniors to reach families members, including tablets to allow video-calling, as Nova Scotia has done.
For Meili, he said communication is key during a pandemic so people feel less isolated, aren’t misinformed and can stay in touch with family and friends.
“There’s lots of information around. Seniors need to be able to keep connected with people during this time when folks can feel really lonely and isolated,” stated Meili on Tuesday morning.
During his daily update, Meili had Prince Albert resident Wendy Fyrk discuss her 88-year-old father’s situation. He currently resides in a senior’s home and is soon facing decreased access to home care.
She said they were given two options: either family members are responsible to handle their loved ones’ needs or they will have to bring them home.
“I argued the point that this is not a safe thing to do, to have individual family members all come walking into the facility. It’s just going to create a real terrible situation for these seniors,” shared Fyrk.
Her fear with that possible scenario is the vulnerability of seniors’ health during the pandemic. She doesn’t want to be a part of a similar issue like in Bobcaygeon, Ontario, where 13 residents at a long-term care home have died from COVID-19 complications since March 25.
Fyrk said the facility told her they have “a while” for families to find an alternate solution before services are pulled. Her sister found out that could be in a week’s time.
“They actually even said ‘well, can these people not administer their own medications?’ Well, we wouldn’t be asking for your service if they could,” added Fyrk.
“I’m not sure why some of those questions are coming from the home care officials, but it’s very frustrating and very scary.”
She said it’s important to make sure they are following physical distancing rules during the outbreak, but Fyrk and her family may be forced to hire a private nurse or find another solution for her father.
