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THREAD: How Ontario all but ceased conducting comprehensive inspections of long-term care homes. @CBCNews revealed today that only 9 of 626 homes received a full "resident quality inspection" (RQI) last year. #COVID19 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/seniors-homes-inspections-1.5532585
In June 2013, the government committed to annual comprehensive inspections of all long-term care homes in the province. These typically took 3-4 inspectors about 8 days, including interviews with staff & residents and a focus on infection prevention. https://news.ontario.ca/mohltc/en/2013/06/ontario-strengthening-care-for-long-term-care-residents.html
The auditor general questioned the efficiency of these comprehensive annual inspections in her 2015 annual report, calling for a "cost-benefit analysis to determine the
frequency in which comprehensive inspections should take place in the future." https://www.auditor.on.ca/en/reports_en/en15/3.09en15.pdf
frequency in which comprehensive inspections should take place in the future." https://www.auditor.on.ca/en/reports_en/en15/3.09en15.pdf
In 2017 the ministry's goal remained a "comprehensive inspection at all long-term care homes every year." Some of these inspections were "risk-focused" but still required two inspectors working for three to five days. https://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/annualreports/arreports/en17/v2_109en17.pdf
"Every long-term care home receives an RQI annually," said the province in its Sept. 2018 final submission to the Wettlaufer inquiry into long-term care. "Focusing only on specific complaints or critical incidents could lead to missing systemic issues." http://longtermcareinquiry.ca/wp-content/uploads/Closing-Submission_05_Long-Term-Care-Homes-Public-Inquiry_Province-of-Ontario_Sept_20_2018.pdf
The Ontario Long-Term Care Association, which predominantly represents private nursing homes, urged the Ford government in its 2019 budget submission to pare back the annual inspections, saying homes are "overburdened with documentation and restrained by rules and inspections."
Still, in July 2019, the Wettlaufer inquiry in its final report describes resident quality inspections as "annual," and a part of the "rigorous inspection regime" under Ontario's long-term care laws. https://longtermcareinquiry.ca/en/final-report/
Yet only nine such comprehensive inspections were conducted in 2019, out of more than 600 homes. The Ministry of Long-Term Care now says its "risk-based inspection framework determines how frequent and intense inspections will be." #COVID19Ontario https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/seniors-homes-inspections-1.5532585
