High death rate of older persons from COVID-19 in Quebec (Canada) long-term care facilities: chronology and analysis

Purpose Among the ten Canadian provinces, Quebec has experienced the most significant excess mortality of older persons during COVID-19. This practice paper aims to present the chronology of events leading to this excess mortality in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and a comprehensive analysis of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journal of adult protection 2021-05, Vol.23 (2), p.110-115
Main Authors: Beaulieu, Marie, Cadieux Genesse, Julien, St-Martin, Kevin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Armed forces
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Employees
Hospitals
Human resources
Human resources management
Living conditions
Long term health care
Long term hospitals
Long-term care
Military
Military personnel
Mortality
Mortality rates
Older people
Pandemics
Protection
Public health
Quality of life
Social services
Society
Workforce
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Purpose Among the ten Canadian provinces, Quebec has experienced the most significant excess mortality of older persons during COVID-19. This practice paper aims to present the chronology of events leading to this excess mortality in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach Documented content from three official sources: daily briefings by the Quebec Premier, a report from the Canadian Armed Forces and a report produced by Royal Society of Canada experts were analysed. Findings Two findings emerge: the lack of preparation in LTCFs and a critical shortage of staff. Indeed, the massive transfer of older persons from hospitals to LTCFs, combined with human resources management and a critical shortage of permanent staff before and during the crisis, generates unhealthy living conditions in LTCFs. Originality/value To our knowledge, this paper is the first to analyse official Quebec and Canadian statements concerning COVID-19 from the angle of quality of life and protection of older adults in LTCFs.
ISSN:1466-8203
2042-8669
DOI:10.1108/JAP-08-2020-0033