Woodstock killings may 'shed light' on understaffed nursing homes, advocate says

The case of a former nurse charged in the deaths of eight patients in long-term care facilities in southwestern Ontario may shed light on the need for better staffing in nursing homes, the executive director of a provincial health advocacy group says.

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"The levels of care are not sufficient to meet the needs. It's the chief complaint of all of the staff, of the family members, the family councils, of the residents," said Natalie Mehra, executive director of Ontario Health Coalition, in aWednesday interview with Craig Norris, host of CBC K-W's The Morning Edition.

Mehra has toured long-term care facilities in the province for more than a decade.

"Every single one is working short-staffed virtually all the time," she said.

Abuse and neglect 'extremely rare'

On Tuesday, Ontario Provincial Police announced 49-year-old Elizabeth Tracy Mae Wettlaufer had been charged with eight counts of first-degree murder in relation to deaths between August 2007 and August 2014. The victims were between the ages of 75 and 96.

Mehra said it is "extremely rare" for a staff member to be accused of a serious crime against a resident of a long-term care home.

"The vast, vast, vast majority of people are in there because they care and because they want to provide care for people, they love the residents and the residents love the staff," she said.

Staffing levels too low to start

There is zero tolerance for abuse and neglect, and Mehrasaid everyone has a duty of care to report it if they think it's happening.

But she agrees there are issues with staff. Ontario has closed hospital beds, which puts pressure on long-term care homes. If workers are sick, they're often not replaced and other staff members are asked to take on extra tasks.

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"In addition, the staffing levels are too low anyway," Mehra said.

This case "could shed light on how understaffed the long-term care homes are. I hope that would be the only possible goodness that could come out of this," she said.