Ethnocultural long-term care homes in Canada: a place for cultural inheritance and community building

This article discusses the overlooked role of recreation programmes in the ethnocultural and cultural-specific long-term care home from my standpoint as a recreation worker. First, the policy during the pandemic that prohibited visits by family members and volunteers revealed that they are important informal caregivers to fill in for the limitations of workers. Second, recreational programmes can also be considered as a practice of cultural inheritance: staff and volunteers learn their history and reconstruct them as collective memory. Third, the interaction between residents, volunteers, families and workers generates a sense of belonging to the ethnic community. Therefore, it can be considered a practice of community building for minority ethnic groups. By presenting the significant role of recreation workers in a long-term care home, I aim to question the meaning and value of care work in long-term care facilities.

Multiple jobholding and part-time work among nurses in long-term care homes compared to other healthcare sectors: Evidence from Ontario.

About two-thirds of Canadian COVID-19 related deaths occurred in long-term care homes (LTCHs). Multiple jobholding and excessive part-time work among staff have been discussed as vectors of transmission. Using an administrative census of registered nurses (RNs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) in the Canadian province of Ontario, this paper contrasts the prevalence of multiple jobholding, part-time/casual work, and other job and worker characteristics across health sectors in 2019 and 2020 to establish whether the LTCH sector deviates from the norms in Ontario healthcare. Prior to COVID-19, about 19% of RNs and 21% of RPNs in LTCHs held multiple jobs. For RPNs, this was almost identical to the RPN provincial average, while for RNs this was 2.5 percentage points above the RN provincial average. In 2020, multiple jobholding fell significantly in LTCHs after the province passed a single site order to reduce COVD-19 transmission. Although there are many similarities across sectors, nurses, especially RNs, in LTCHs differ on some dimensions. They are more likely to be internationally educated and, together with nurses in hospitals, those who work part- time/casual are more likely to prefer full-time hours (involuntary part-time/casual). Overall, while multiple jobholding and part-time work among nurses are problematic for infection prevention and control, these employment practices in LTCHs did not substantially deviate from the norms in the rest of healthcare in Ontario.

Artificial intelligence and its contribution to overcome COVID-19

Artificial intelligence (AI) has a great impact on our daily living and makes our lives more efficient and productive. Especially during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, AI has played a key role in response to the global health crisis. There has been a boom in AI innovation and its use since the pandemic. However, despite its widespread adoption and great potential, most people have little knowledge of AI concepts and realization of its potential. The objective of this white paper is to communicate the importance of AI and its benefits to society. The report covers AI applications in six different topics from medicine (AI deployment in clinical settings, imaging and diagnostics, and acceleration of drug discovery) to more social aspects (support older adults in long-term care homes, and AI in supporting small and medium enterprises. The report ends with nine steps to consider for moving forward with AI implementation during and post pandemic period. These include legal and ethical data collection and storage, greater data access, multidisciplinary collaboration, and policy reform.

COVID-19 and SPELLED AGEISM: What Effect Does The Pandemic Have On Older People?

BACKGROUND The major aim of this discussion is to spotlight the ageism that has appeared during the COVID-19. Here we discusses about how the older people are wrongly presented in our community and their less value in the society. During this pandemic, covid-19 was resulted into major cause of death for older adults.Ageism is generally seen in the western and developing societies and here, older people are seen with false beliefs and judgments. To overcome this, the health authorities should consider older adults to be an integral part of the population, they should not feel burdened by them. OBJECTIVE The article provides a review of the literature on behaviour and attitudes toward ageism and older adults in the world and discusses the facts and findings on the basis of the review of literature on ageing, age stereotypes, impact of ageism on older people as well as their link toculture and society. METHODS This review articles was published from June 2020 to January 2021 and indexed in the electronic databases Web of Science, PubMed, and WHO official website. Electronic searches were made with visual scanning of reference lists and hand searching of leading journals in the field of ageing and social gerontology. RESULTS During covid-19 pandemic, flexibility of old age should be adopted. Here the treatment should be depends upon chronological age as well as on values and preferences of people. An alternative framework must be established which shows the negative impact of the corona virus on the population. We must stop saying terms called social distancing and better call the best appropriate term such as physical distancing.In the social world, the major asset of emergency situations is intergenerational relation without this relation the life of older people become vulnerable. CONCLUSION In this article, advocates and public health researcher share their opinion about ageism, and try their efforts to reduce the perspective of people towards the older adults that appeared at the time of covid-19. This pandemic shows high mortality rates for older adults than younger adults. We cannot afford to be inattentive for the lost lives caused by ageist behaviour and attitudes. We need to think about of what will happen if we let ageism influence,and how thediscussion and treatment of old people affects during and after the pandemic. © The Electrochemical Society

Who's in the House? Staffing in Long-Term Care Homes Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Critical gaps exist in our knowledge on how best to provide quality person-centered care to long-term care (LTC) home residents which is closely tied to not knowing what the ideal staff is complement in the home. A survey was created on staffing in LTC homes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic to determine how the staff complement changed. Perspectives were garnered from researchers, clinicians, and policy experts in eight countries and the data provides a first approximation of staffing before and during the pandemic. Five broad categories of staff working in LTC homes were as follows: (1) those responsible for personal and support care, (2) nursing care, (3) medical care, (4) rehabilitation and recreational care, and (5) others. There is limited availability of data related to measuring staff complement in the home and those with similar roles had different titles making it difficult to compare between countries. Nevertheless, the survey results highlight that some categories of staff were either absent or deemed non-essential during the pandemic. We require standardized high-quality workforce data to design better decision-making tools for staffing and planning, which are in line with the complex care needs of the residents and prevent precarious work conditions for staff.

Poor and Lost Connections: Essential Family Caregivers' Experiences Using Technology with Family Living in Long-Term Care Homes during COVID-19.

Background: Long-term care homes (LTCHs) restricted essential family caregivers' (EFCs) visitations during COVID-19, and virtual visits using technology were used. Objective: To understand EFCs' virtual visitations experiences during COVID-19 in two Canadian provinces. Methods: Seven focus groups were conducted with EFCs. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes at micro, meso, and macro levels. Results: Four themes were found: 1) a lack of technology and infrastructure; 2) barriers to scheduling visitations; 3) unsuitable technology implementation; and 4) inability of technology to adapt to residents' needs. Discussion: Virtual visitations showcased a confluence of micro, meso, and macro factors that, in some cases, negatively impacted the EFCs, residents, and the relationship between EFCs and residents. Structural and home inequities within and beyond the LTCH impacted the quality of technology-based visitations, underscoring the need to support technology infrastructure and training to ensure residents are able to maintain relationships during visitation bans. Conclusion: EFCs' experiences of technology-based visitations were impacted by structural vulnerabilities of the LTCH sector.

The Great Pandemic Confinement: Long-Term Care, Migrants, and Organized Abandonment

This article exposes the biopolitical and necropolitical logics that have guided pandemic mitigation in Ontario, Canada. I focus on the carceral character of measures that were deployed under the guise of managing COVID-19. Specifically, I examine two of the populations who were targeted for exceptional measures: the elderly and disabled residents of long-term care homes, who were confined in their rooms for months on end, and migrant farm workers, who were restricted to cramped living quarters and worked alongside infected co-workers. I consider what these measures imply about the problem that is being addressed. I argue that the treatment of these two groups shows the prioritization of the biopolitical imperative to fragment the population, to create a break between those who are to be protected and those who are not. This is an inherently racist imperative that aims to protect the "race" by separating out the weak from the strong, the healthy from the sick, and the self-regulating from the troublesome in order to protect the order required by capital and lessen the burden on the state. Carcerality signals abandonment. These two groups, while demographically quite different, share the characteristic of being outside the realm of life that is considered worthy of protection. Migrant farm workers, valued only for their labour, were always considered expendable. During a pandemic, long-term care home residents-viewed as already dying-fell within the classification of those who were considered too fragile or troublesome to merit protection. Within a society based upon the necropolitical exclusions of settler colonialism, the plantation, and imperialism, these conditions made these two groups utterly abandonable during a pandemic.

Social Connection is Essential in Long-Term Care Homes: Considerations During COVID-19 and Beyond.

COVID-19 has had a profound impact on long-term care (LTC) homes in Canada. But the measures put in place to control infection within LTC homes have also had devastating impacts on the health and well-being of residents through the effects on social connection. Here, we offer guiding principles to enable social connection and promote health and quality of life for LTC residents during COVID-19 and beyond. These principles were generated by a working group of the COVID-19 and Dementia Task Force, convened by the Alzheimer Society of Canada to identify the urgent and emerging issues raised by COVID-19 for Canadians with dementia.

Reducing Morbidity and Mortality Rates from COVID-19, Influenza and Pneumococcal Illness in Nursing Homes and Long-Term Care Facilities by Vaccination and Comprehensive Infection Control Interventions.

The COVID-19 pandemic identifies the problems of preventing respiratory illnesses in seniors, especially frail multimorbidity seniors in nursing homes and Long-Term Care Facilities (LCTFs). Medline and Embase were searched for nursing homes, long-term care facilities, respiratory tract infections, disease transmission, infection control, mortality, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. For seniors, there is strong evidence to vaccinate against influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and pneumococcal disease, and evidence is awaited for effectiveness against COVID-19 variants and when to revaccinate. There is strong evidence to promptly introduce comprehensive infection control interventions in LCFTs: no admissions from inpatient wards with COVID-19 patients; quarantine and monitor new admissions in single-patient rooms; screen residents, staff and visitors daily for temperature and symptoms; and staff work in only one home. Depending on the vaccination situation and the current risk situation, visiting restrictions and meals in the residents' own rooms may be necessary, and reduce crowding with individual patient rooms. Regional LTCF administrators should closely monitor and provide staff and PPE resources. The CDC COVID-19 tool measures 33 infection control indicators. Hand washing, social distancing, PPE (gowns, gloves, masks, eye protection), enhanced cleaning of rooms and high-touch surfaces need comprehensive implementation while awaiting more studies at low risk of bias. Individual ventilation with HEPA filters for all patient and common rooms and hallways is needed.

Proceedings from an International Virtual Townhall: Reflecting on the COVID-19 Pandemic: Themes from Long-Term Care.

Residents of long-term care (LTC) homes have suffered disproportionately during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the virus itself and often from the imposition of lockdown measures. Provincial Geriatrics Leadership Ontario, in collaboration with interRAI and the International Federation on Aging, hosted a virtual Town Hall on September 25, 2020. The purpose of this event was to bring together international perspectives from researchers, clinicians, and policy experts to address important themes potentially amenable to timely policy interventions. This article summarizes these themes and the ensuing discussions among 130 attendees from 5 continents. The disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on frail residents of LTC homes reflects a systematic lack of equitable prioritization by health system decision makers around the world. The primary risk factors for an outbreak in an LTC home were outbreaks in the surrounding community, high staff and visitor traffic in large facilities, and crowding of residents in ageing buildings. Infection control measures must be prioritized in LTC homes, though care must be taken to protect frail and vulnerable residents from their overly blunt application that deprives residents from appropriate physical and psychosocial support. Staffing, in terms of overall numbers, training, and leadership skills, was inadequate. The built environment of LTC homes can be configured for both optimal resident well-being and infection control. Infection control and resident wellness need not be mutually exclusive. Improving outcomes for LTC residents requires more staffing with proper training and interprofessional leadership. All these initiatives must be underpinned by an effective quality assurance system based on standardized, comprehensive, accessible, and clinically relevant data, and which can support broad communities of practice capable of effecting real and meaningful change for frail older persons, wherever they chose to reside.

["Responding to vulnerability": Ethics and CHSLD in the Age of COVID-19]. / « Répondre à la vulnérabilité ¼ : l'éthique et les CHSLD au temps de la COVID-19.

The intrusion of the COVID-19 in Quebec witnesses the failure of seniors' residences to adequately protect their residents. The long-standing carelessness of an entire society towards frail elderly people has become clear. The text is divided into two parts. The first part shows that as much as the Quebec hospital, under the direction of the Ministry of Health, was ready to deal with the pandemic, as long-term centres for people with loss of autonomy were not. The second part discusses the type of ethics that guided officials in their decisions. This type of ethics does not seem to me to be consistent with the ethical vision that would be appropriate in long-term care. Ethics should be one that corresponds to the nature of these centres, it should be a response to vulnerability. The conclusion calls for citizen dialogue to arrive at an appropriate response to the situation of these people.

Ageism and COVID-19: what does our society's response say about us?

The goal of this commentary is to highlight the ageism that has emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 20 international researchers in the field of ageing have contributed to this document. This commentary discusses how older people are misrepresented and undervalued in the current public discourse surrounding the pandemic. It points to issues in documenting the deaths of older adults, the lack of preparation for such a crisis in long-term care homes, how some 'protective' policies can be considered patronising and how the initial perception of the public was that the virus was really an older adult problem. This commentary also calls attention to important intergenerational solidarity that has occurred during this crisis to ensure support and social-inclusion of older adults, even at a distance. Our hope is that with this commentary we can contribute to the discourse on older adults during this pandemic and diminish the ageist attitudes that have circulated.