Standards should indeed be set across Canada and should be maintained and monitored by the provinces. These standards should establish a quality that does not currently exist.
The working conditions of people who work with the most vulnerable should be changed. There is a need for more staff, better wages, and more personal support workers—people who provide some support. The presence of family caregivers is also needed. We saw during the pandemic that people [Technical difficulty—Editor] who were normally recognized were denied entry, which created isolation.
I would like to add that caregivers and family members have had to deal with grief. It's going to take several years to get over these bereavements, because these people have been cut off from the older person they loved and helped and have not been able to get to their bedside. In some cases, the funeral has not yet taken place. Imagine the lingering loss of that person and the grief that follows.
I do think that working conditions need to be considered in the case of people who care for vulnerable people in residential and long-term care centres, or CHSLDs, hospitals and private seniors' residences, or RPAs. In Quebec, bonuses were given during the COVID‑19 pandemic, but if these bonuses disappear, salaries will be even lower. Because the working conditions are so bad, this is not a profession that people want to work in. So they're not going to work in those environments.
People will have to be recruited, trained and, of course, well compensated. There will also have to be managers in every facility. We have heard of cases where managers were not present, often creating negative or disastrous situations. It is important that there be someone in each facility who is in charge, who can give directions, and, to use a familiar phrase, keep an eye on things. This person must also be able to make requests for their facility if necessary.