Study says health aide workers have limited training, suffer burnout

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WINNIPEG — A study by the University of Alberta suggests front-line workers in Canada’s crowded nursing homes are suffering a “worrisome” level of burnout.

The study “Who is Looking After Mom and Dad? Unregulated Workers in Canadian Long-term Care Homes” takes an in-depth look at the health care aide workforce in Canada, a group estimated to be made up of 250,000 people.

Health care aides provide the bulk of care to residents who have increasingly challenging needs in the latter part of their lives.

The report, which looked at the situation in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

It found the workers have limited training and in many cities, speak English as a second language.

It also found more than 60 per cent of the care aides were born outside of Canada.

Most provinces in Canada require some kind of education and certification to work in the field. However, the standards differ widely depending on location.

Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia have aide registries; Manitoba and the other provinces and territories in Canada do not.