Thank you very much for being here.
I am actually looking at the policy brief from the Canadian Nurses Association, which is called “The Long-Term Care Environment: Improving Outcomes through Staffing Decisions”. It talks about this:
Fifty-four per cent of nurses working in [long-term care] report that there is not enough staff to get the work done. Staffing decisions therefore have an impact on patient outcomes.
This actually results in violence for nurses and for front-line workers as well. It also states:
The Canada Health Act does not cover [long-term care], and the provision of this type of care falls under the jurisdiction of provincial and territorial governments. In consequence, there is a range of approaches to funding, regulating and governing LTC throughout the country.
The position statement of the CNA states that your association believes that a publicly funded not-for-profit health care system is the most efficient and cost-effective way of providing access to health care services for all Canadians. You also say that you support the principles of the Canada Health Act, which are universality, comprehensiveness, portability, and accessibility.
In reference to this position, which I think is amazing, could you speak specifically about support for long-term care facilities and how this might be helpful against violence, both for nurses and for patients?