Going once, going twice... Health care giants bid for home care

 Cashing in on need

 Ontario: Primed for costly privatization

 The cost of competition

 Staffing problems

 Out of pocket expenses on rise

 Funding and access cutbacks

 Home care is about women

 The need for federal action

 For-profit home care provision: expanding the market

 Olsten’s shoddy track record

 What is your province doing?

 Corporate classrooms costly...

"The disruptions to the community as a result of new providers replacing the VON can’t be measured in dollars alone. The public was getting good value for their tax dollars. Patients were being well treated. Doctors respected and trusted the capabilities of the nurses. Patients and workers should not be compromised when the decisions are made to award a contract. The people of this community will not accept a service that is rationed, under-funded and short staffed."

Windsor Health Coalition presentation to the Windsor CCAC board

Staffing problems

Private for-profit home care companies rely on casual and temporary staff. As a result, their workers have a much higher turnover rate than unionized public sector home care workers — as high as 50 per cent. Temporary employees do not have the same sense of loyalty, commitment and professionalism as workers who are employed permanently and have regular assignments. Combined with the staff turnover that comes as contracts are won and lost, continuity of care is threatened.

Many home care companies put incredible stress on their casual workforce, with some working as many as 48 hours a week without a day off for weeks. This casualized workforce creates problems during holiday seasons. In Ottawa-Carleton, two for-profit companies, Bradson and ParaMed, could not fulfil their contracts at the end of December 1998 because casual staff took time off. Extra non-profit home care staff from the VON had to come in to fill the gap. For those who need it, home care cannot take a holiday.

The very nature of home care means workers must travel from one location to another in order to provide services. If there are no transportation allowances, workers must pay the cost of transportation themselves. Many for-profit employers cut wages and benefits, including travel allowances, to pad their bottom line. Non-profit agencies are following suit as they try to lower their wage bill to compete for service contracts.

As staff is cut, workloads become heavier with workers expected to work faster and handle more difficult work. Workplace injuries and stress levels are on the rise. Levels of work satisfaction are declining and workers have little time for personal communication with their patients.