From a personal point of view, this is an extremely attractive area of work. I find it deeply meaningful and purposeful. I think that attracts a certain cohort of health care providers who are interested in that long-term relationship building with the residents of the homes.
With that, there are distinct challenges when it comes to working with shortages. Homes do everything they can to avoid those, because it can be incredibly challenging to meet the needs of residents when there is a shortage of staff. As I noted earlier, that's often where we see short-term solutions through agencies being taken up. There is a lot of energy that goes into dealing with competition and trying to ensure we're providing the best workplace possible, providing mental health supports to ensure retention and doing a lot of engagement with frontline staff to help them feel connected and help them feel that their role really matters. Those are all strategic decisions and efforts that are made.
Looking at the immigration opportunities, long-term care employers are playing a large role in the settlement of many newcomers into the workforce in a way that helps them feel connected and supported and ultimately supports their retention of employment in the home as well.