SEIU-West concerned about communication on new visitation rules

This week, more people can go see their loved ones at more Saskatchewan health-care facilities, but the visiting changes have one of the province’s largest health-care unions concerned.

Barbara Cape, the president of SEIU-West, said there hasn’t been enough clarity for workers, that the details on the new guidelines haven’t been shared well enough.

“If I go to visit my loved one and I say, ‘To hell with the rules, I’m going to do what I want to do,’ who’s responsible for enforcing those visitor guidelines? Is it the staff? Is it the director of care? Is it the administrator? Who’s responsible? And what is the support that we need in order to be making good decisions to help families make good decisions?” asked Cape.

Cape said this is still a work in progress with the Saskatchewan Health Authority. She explained it’s not that the union doesn’t want people to visit family; she said family members are key to recuperation and recovery.

“But, we are still in a pandemic so I think we really need to be focused and deliberate about how we roll these new guidelines out, how do we enforce them, and then how do we have to pull them back if we get into trouble, let’s say in a long-term care facility where we have to lock things down again,” explained Cape.

Cape said there wasn’t any consultation with the health-care unions on the rule changes. She said if there had been, she would have explained that there should also be more communication with the families of patients and residents in those facilities.

“I think people need to know what the parameters are,” she said. “I think they need to know what the consequences will be if they don’t follow through on these rules.”

Cape also has concerns about things like adequate staffing in facilities and personal protective equipment stores for things like masks. She said there are already low staffing levels and workers will have even more to do as they have to screen and explain new procedures to visitors.

Cape also believes the province doesn’t have enough masks to go around. The province has said it has 30 days’ supply, but Cape says that’s not enough for both workers and visitors.

“The province really needs to double down on acquiring more PPE and making sure it’s available, making sure people know how to properly wear a mask and to not touch their faces,” said Cape.

SEIU-West represents about 13,000 people in Saskatchewan.