CUPE Ontario has released two reports on violence suffered by Registered Practical Nurses and Personal Support Workers at long term care homes.

The first report includes results of a poll about violence at long term care homes in Ontario including in North Bay.

It says 96 % of RPN’s and PSW’s have experienced physical violence at least occasionally and that figure is 8 % higher than the provincial average.

Sharon Richer on the reasons.

“We have a higher rate of dependency on acohol or drugs. There’s also a higher amount of population that have diabetes,” she says.

The 2nd report is a study that says workplace violence is a daily occurrence.

Co-author Dr. Margaret Keith says when these incidents occur there should be support for the victims but that’s not happening.

“Over and over and over again we heard that we’re told by our employer that violence is just part of the job. It’s just something that goes with the territory and it is something we just have to live woth. So we do our best to protect ourselves,” Dr. Keith says.

She says some of the stories they heard were shocking.

“There were so many people who said every day I get slapped, spit at, called names and kicked. And maybe by people who have cognitive impairment but sometimes it is angry, frustrated people who lash out at the first person to come into the room,” she says.

Richer says what’s needed are three things including more staff to tend to patients.

“The PSW and RPN’s time is very much stretched. Family and patients get frustrated because employees don’t have the time to ask for 5 minutes how their day was,” Richer says.

Other recommendations include whistleblower legislation to protect staff who report the violence and criminalization of that violence towards staff.

Filed under: CUPE Ontario, long term care homes, violence