Nursing home staff injuries is 'disturbing trend' in Nova Scotia, groups say

Leaders of theNova ScotiaWorkers'Compensation Board and the province'slargest union are calling on the government to address the problem of work-related injuries to staff at nursing homes and inhome care settings.

"The work has changed somewhat and we've seen a disturbing trend that more and more people are getting injured," said Stuart MacLean, CEO of Nova Scotia Workers' Compensation Board.

"We need to have a different approach."

Hospitals dealing with 'acute issues'

MacLean said the cost of claims from homecare and long-term care workers has tripled in the last 10years. Injury claims from home care and nursing home workers now make up about half of all claims from the health sector.

According to acting NSGEU president Jason MacLean, the jump in staff injuries is due to a shift in the type of work. He said staff now deal with sicker patients than a decade ago.

"Usually hospitals are dealing with acute issues, but that's not necessarily the case anymore,"MacLean said.

"In order to deal with people with serious illnesses or people with needs, medical needs, they need more one-on-one treatment or maybe two-on-one treatment."

One answer, he said, is to increase staff.

"When you are in this long-term facility and you have a person that's looking after a ward full of people, and they're not getting back around to that person for a little while, a lot of stuff can happen in the meantime."

More people means more training

MacLean said the types of injuries are mostlyfrom lifting and moving people. Some injuries are also as result ofviolence against health care workers from patients suffering from dementia.

Nova Scotia Health Minister Leo Glavine said the province is working on a plan to address the problem. He said the Workers'Compensation Board will hire a coordinator to work with the department and put together a five year action plan.

That plan, he said, will include a standard of best practices for the industry and training. But staff increases aren't likely, he said.

"I'm not one to say the problem can be solved simply by hiring more people," said Glavine. "If we hire the people and they don't have the adequate training, then we'll still be in the same place."

By the Numbers

• Nursing home and long-term care workers make up one third of the health sector workforce, and 60 per cent of the costs in benefit claims
• 16,000 people work in long-term and home care in Nova Scotia
• In 2015, nursing home and home care workers filed 2,244 claims