Long-term care 'in crisis' as rapid testing and booster are in short supply

A COVID-19 rapid test. (File photo)

Families with loved ones in long-term care or retirement homes are scrambling to find appointments for rapid tests in order to visit loved ones during the holidays.

Heather Urban’s mother-in-law is in a retirement home in the west end. “I can’t find a test, it’s ridiculous,” she says. “There is no available testing at the pharmacies for the rapid test because there are no rapid tests.”

Starting Dec. 22, rapid antigen tests will be required for staff, volunteers, and essential caregivers twice a week, regardless of vaccination status, in both long-term care and retirement homes. Visitors are also required to provide a negative rapid test result before going inside. Families can choose to pay for a rapid test at a pharmacy, but it must be verified by a medical professional.

Urban says, “It is a tough situation for sure. They are not accepting the at-home testing, which I understand. As it stands right now, there is no way we are going to be able to go in and see her or have the support worker go in and help her until maybe middle of next week or end of next week. We are looking at a crisis and I know we are not alone.”

Long-term care advocates are calling the situation “dire.”

Can-Age CEO and founder Laura Tamblyn Watts says, “Testing requirements are superb, we need tests for anyone who lives, works, and visits in long-term care. That is job number one right now, along with boosters. The problem is we cannot get the tests.”

The rapid testing requirement has been in place for long-term care homes since Dec. 17. Tamblyn Watts says families have been reaching out constantly. “Sixty-four long term care homes as of (Monday) did not have access to rapid tests, at a time where the Omicron variant is a breakthrough variant and boosters for staff is low. This is a disaster.”

She says better access to testing is needed to help deal with a staffing shortage. “Right now, our biggest problem is we have no staff,” she says.

“It is as bad as wave one, what we are looking at right now. We have some protection with vaccines and boosters, but the omicron is a breakthrough virus, and we know that because staff can’t get the boosters they need or the rapid tests that we’re supposed to have, we are worried that homes will simply close their doors because they are overwhelmed at a time where residents need it most.”

Tamblyn Watts wants rapid tests redeployed to long-term care and retirement homes, and for booster shots to be administered directly inside homes.

“We have a critical shortage of rapid tests right now in long term care … we have requirements for tests, but no tests, and that just doesn’t mean no visitors, that means long-term care is in crisis, we have to raise the alarm.”