Care Aides Working Multiple Jobs: Considerations for Staffing Policies in Long-Term Care Homes During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected older adults living in long-term care (LTC) homes, who have less functional immune systems, multiple comorbidities, and high levels of immobility and dementia. In Canada, 85% of COVID-19 deaths were LTC residents as of early May 2020—the highest among 14 countries.1 In response, provincial health offices have issued numerous emergency orders and one focused on restricting health care aides to working at only 1 site.1–3