Nancy Healey-Dove took a job in long-term care because she loves helping people. While she still holds her work dear, it has become tougher over the past few years, and she worries about the future of the profession.
When Frank Tucker's Alzheimer's diagnosis forced him to move into a long-term care facility one and a half years ago, his daughter Sherisse Tucker hoped it would be the safest place for Frank. Yet, she says some aspects of the care Frank receives at St. John's facility Pleasant View Towers have raised concerns and they all come down to staffing.
While St. John's residents Jeanine McDonald and Elizabeth Counsel have had very different experiences accessing respite care, they are both calling for changes to the provincial system. Better training, higher wages and more recognition are all needed to improve both workers' and families' situations, they say.
Rich Wheeler talks about the devastation that Huntington's disease brought upon the life he shared with his wife, Ruby. A former RNC officer, he said taking care of her full time became so challenging and isolating that he considered suicide.