Understanding and reducing the impacts of COVID-19 on personal support workers in an Ontario long-term care home

The impact of COVID-19 on long-term care, a sector previously struggling with critical challenges of recruitment and retention, has been devastating. The core working group, personal support workers, has been particularly impacted. Studies with other providers such as nurses have demonstrated stress and burnout during past pandemics as well as the negative influences on staff turnover. However, how personal support workers have experienced this pandemic and how this will impact existing human resource challenges is unknown. This participatory action study aims to understand this experience, identify these impacts, and facilitate action on a strategy aimed at reducing the influence of COVID-19 on this precarious workforce. The study findings will assist the partner organization to identify key challenges and strategies to address recruitment and retention, especially at this crucial time.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jeannette Lindenbach

Student:

Mireille Fortin-Ukrainetz

Partner:

Finlandia Village

Discipline:

Other

Sector:

Health care and social assistance

University:

Laurentian University