Que. LTC home piloting use of trained volunteers to address staff shortage

A long-term care facility in Drummondville, Que., is training volunteers to perform basic tasks such as feeding residents. The seniors' home is experimenting with the idea to deal with a chronic shortage of paid staff. A spokesperson for the union that represents LTC workers in Quebec says it has no objection to the use of volunteers, provided paid staff are on hand to deal with residents with more complex needs. She adds that policies that promote the retention of LTC workers would go farther in alleviating staffing shortages.