In an article written for The Conversation, Department of Equity Studies professor Tania Das Gupta examines current issues of nursing home COVID-19 deaths, stressing the need for the crucial factor of race to be included in discussions on the topic.
Among those most severely affected by the pandemic, elderly residents and their caregivers in long-term care nursing homes have been the subject of several reports pertaining to COVID-19. However, the role of race among these workers needs to become a larger part of the conversation - as it connects to the way they are treated by their organizations, and in turn, how they are able to provide care.
"Despite the fact that they are considered "essential" workers, they earn low wages, are insecure, and even subjected to workplace violence," Gupta explains. " Expendability becomes synonymous with long-term care workers."
Predominantly staffed by immigrant women, migrants, and refugees who are often underpaid, many privately owned nursing homes and long-term care facilities in Canada employ essential workers who have to take on multiple jobs while already providing care in challenging conditions - sometimes lacking personal protective equipment and not being given sick leave benefits. As a result, these groups can inadvertently become potential carriers of infection, often having little choice.
"The question of race in long-term care is not only important for ensuring the best care for seniors, but also to ensure their human rights and those of their caregivers. This requires that we acknowledge and open up a conversation about race on the job.