A vast majority of Canadians want to see a review of the country's long-term care system after the severe impacts of COVID-19.
That's one of the findings of a recent national poll analyzed by Narrative Research, a leading public opinion and market research company.
The online survey was conducted from Aug. 20 to 22 and involved 1,230 Canadians, who are 18 or older, from a COVID-19 omnibus by the data collection firm Logit Group.
The top takeaways from the results are that Canadians want an improved level of care in long-term care facilities and a systematic review of those facilities – particularly in management and staffing levels – is absolutely needed.
Niney-one per cent of respondents want that review, and feel that changes must be made.
A news release issued Wednesday about the survey results said the opinions are consistent whether the respondents have a family member in a long-term care facility or not.
Nearly all respondents to the poll (90 per cent) felt that how facilities are managed needS to be changed and 83 per cent called for increased staffing.
Margaret Brigley, Narrative Research CEO, said the survey results are quite clear.
“I think what the results are showing us is that status quo is not good enough,” Brigley said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. “Clearly, Canadians want to see a focus placed on improving the level of care that's available in long-term care facilities, and it doesn't matter which part of the country they're living in.”
Most of the deaths Nova Scotia experienced due to COVID-19 occurred in the Northwood long-term care facility in Halifax. Of the 65 Nova Scotians who died, 53 were Northwood residents.
The province has launched a review of what happened in the facility.
According to the Canadian Institute of Health Information, 81 per cent of COVID deaths in the country happened in long-term care facilities.
The responses in the new poll released Wednesday showed strongest support for a long-term care management review in Quebec (94 per cent). The province's in-care seniors were devastated by the disease, with more than 70 per cent of Quebec's 5,762 deaths, according to CIHI.
The Prairies region had the lowest support for increased staffing levels at 71 per cent.
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In Nova Scotia, 90 per cent called for changes, 89 per cent want a review of how facilities are managed, and 87 per cent agreed increased staffing is needed.
“We've all seen that long-term care facilities across the country have been so severely impacted by COVID-19 and that's exactly why we wanted to explore this a little further and find out what people think needs to be done in this area,” Brigley said. “So clearly, again, change needs to happen and Canadians are clearly unanimous in their agreement that we have to make change in order to ensure consistent and a high level of care is provided in long-term care facilities.”
The poll results also showed that women and people aged 55 and older, who are more often caregivers, were more strongly supportive than males and younger people.
About one in seven Canadian residents report having family members living in long-term care facilities, or 14 per cent, the release said. The provinces with the highest proportions are Ontario (18 per cent) and Newfoundland and Labrador (17 per cent). The proportion of Nova Scotians with family in seniors homes is 11 per cent.
This was the first of three research summaries to be provided this week. Narrative Research will have further details on Canadians’ perceptions and behaviours related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming days.
The survey results came from a sampling system where residents joined a panel to share their opinions, so a margin of error is not applied.
