Overhaul LTC facilities, says carpenters’ union
According to the Carpenters' District Council of Ontario (CDCO), there is no better time than now to conduct an overhaul of Ontario’s long-term care facilities.
The council appointed a team of university students to its research department to look at the age and infrastructure standards of the province’s long-term care home. Many facilities were found ill-equipped to properly incorporate physical distancing and other measures recommended by public-health authorities as responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The carpenters council says now is the time to look at opportunities to overhaul these care facilities through renovations and updates to building infrastructure.
The organization’s research suggests that one in three long-term care beds in Ontario are in facilities built to standards that are almost 50 years old. Additionally, the highest COVID-19 infection rates have occurred in such long-term care facilities defined as D- and C-level facilities (those usually having four beds per room and one bathroom), which were built to standards established in 1972—and which are no longer considered legal.
"COVID-19 has highlighted the need to renovate these facilities," said CDCO general counsel Mark Lewis. “In so doing, we all need to reassess what the future of long-term care could look like. This is a real opportunity to make all Ontario's LTC facilities safer and much healthier for current and future residents
The renovations required to bring these homes up to newer standards span a range of activities.
"Physically reconfiguring patient rooms and addressing major structural issues, such as outdated HVAC and electrical systems, are just a few examples of what we're seeing that needs to be done," said CDCO president Mike Yorke. "Now's the time to bring Ontario's long-term care homes and hospitals into the 21st century."
The council says the findings of its study present a clear link between the health of buildings and the health of their occupants. It is therefore also promoting the use of infection control risk assessment practices—particularly in hospitals and long-term care facilities. The union expects the need for such certifications to increase as owners look at renovating their LTC properties.
To that end, the College of Carpenters and Allied Trades has developed an Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) training course that includes 16 hours of in-class theory and eight hours of hands-on training. The union says the training ensures that tradespeople are well-versed and up to date on infection and control risks.
"This ICRA training course was thoughtfully developed to ensure tradespeople are able to identify any potential risks and carry out their work in the safest way possible," said Cristina Selva, executive director of the College of Carpenters and Allied Trades. "With new infection control measures being implemented by businesses across the province as a result of COVID-19, construction industry professionals can expand their skillset so they can be prepared with the knowledge of how to best execute these crucial renovations."
The CCAT's curriculum was developed by construction-related infection control experts and is updated periodically to remain relevant and consistent with evolving industry standards. The course also covers how to identify and minimize risks; ICRA protocols; proper use of HEPA equipment; bio-hazard PPE; and enclosures and containment barriers.