Staffing in Long-Term Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights, Lessons and Paths Forward

The “Staffing in Long-Term Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights, Lessons and Paths Forward” executive summary explores how long-term care and assisted living staff experienced work during the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies lessons to guide workplace practices to support mental health in long-term care and assisted living settings.

While the pandemic created new stressors that impacted the provision of care in long-term care and assisted living, it also exacerbated pre-existing issues. This executive summary highlights the importance of:

• leadership and management support

• cooperation during uncertain times

• emotional and spiritual care, and the inclusion of family members in care

• appreciation for long-term care and assisted living workers

• an atmosphere of understanding and cooperation

• peer support

• transparent and accessible resources

• appropriate staffing

This summary was informed by research funded by HEC and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research through the Implementation Science Teams program, and it was prepared by the CaRER Lab.