David Fontana
Dear editor:
I am writing you this letter out of my genuine concern regarding the health and welfare of the floor staff members here at Rainycrest, in particular those who are working on the east wing.
Over the past two-three months, I have noted there has been increased tension among the staff members here. After asking one of them what was up with the rushed or hurried approach to care, she told me that they no longer had the time to spend with each patient because of management’s decision to cut back on one full-time person per shift due to lack of adequate government funding.
As a direct result of this, I have noticed an increase in the amount of “bickering” among some of the staff members, as well as some of them becoming less tolerant towards each resident’s individualized behaviours.
I also noticed that some of the basic care is no longer being done in a timely fashion as it once was. For example, I have heard of some patients waiting up to 30 minutes just to get into the washroom to use the toilet.
Another example would be having a bath. What was once a relaxing and enjoyable experience has now become a rushed affair.
Now it’s not like these employees are just sitting around doing nothing as they are not—they are working very hard.
Now I realize that Rainycrest is limited by its financial constraints, however, I believe that something should be done in the near future to relieve some of the pressure that these people are working under. Thereby creating a “win-win” situation for all parties involved.
Perhaps if everyone who reads this letter writes a similar letter to our local MP and MPP, maybe Rainycrest would be supplied with adequate funding in order to hire enough personnel to look after our elderly generation, and those people with long-term disabilities, with a humanistic approach to care.
After all, do you not feel that these people deserve the best care that is possible?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
David Fontana
Rainycrest resident
