Thank you so much, Chair.
I would like to thank both of our witnesses for their time today and for contributing their expertise to our study.
Special thanks to you, Dr. Boscart, for your continued commitment to care for our seniors on the front lines throughout this pandemic.
Tragically, long-term care has been the epicentre of the pandemic. While the problems in long-term care aren't new—we know they're not new—they have been highlighted and heightened during this health crisis. We know the delivery of quality of care for our seniors depends on a skilled workforce.
Dr. Boscart, in the report that you co-authored, “Restoring trust: COVID-19 and the future of long-term care in Canada”, it suggests that the priority in addressing long-term care should be to solve the workforce crisis. In fact, it says that if we do nothing else, we need to address staffing.
That report was released in the first wave of COVID, so it was a few waves ago. Would you say that it is still accurate to prioritize the workforce crisis in long-term care? Could you also share with this committee in more detail the existing challenges in the long-term care workforce?