The St. Josephs Villa Family Council is hosting its second Interactive Forum focused on Personal Support Workers A Cornerstone to Long Term Care Success, on Thursday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Josephs Villa Long Term Care Facility in Dundas.

The forum will be of special interest to family members who have loved ones in long-term care facilities, health professionals, long-term care workers and educators, and the public at large.

The forum will deal with the role, training and expectations of personal support workers in long-term care facilities. Knowledgeable speakers from education, health care and labour will present various points of view concerning consistency in standards, training and the certification and registry of front-line workers. Audience questions will also be addressed.

Peter Gnish, chair of the St. Josephs Villa Family Council, stressed the urgency for all sectors to work together to make long-term care in Ontario the best it can be.

Since 2008, the provincial government has provided funding for only 2.8 paid hours of care per resident per day in long-term care, he said.

They promised to increase that to four hours by 2012. This still has not been done and creates great strains on the PSWs and the care they can offer. We believe that the only way the current problems in our long-term care facilities can be improved is if the government keeps its promise, as well as working to establish a licensing body, such as a college, to develop a process of registration, accreditation and certification for all personal support workers.

To register as a participant in the forum contact Gnish at 905-547-1628 or pgnish@cogeco.ca.

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Family Council advocates for positive change