Issue link: http://clhia.uberflip.com/i/354914
13 increases, including in long-term care, the pool of available nurses has been on the decline. This has been the result of an aging workforce, poor working conditions and heavy workloads. This serves as a disincentive for the retention of nurses. The nursing profession has also experienced inequities in salary and other working conditions between the hospital sector and the home health care and long-term care sectors. When positions come available in the hospital sector, nurses from home care and long-term care are attracted to move because of compensation disparities, including access to benefits like pensions. This contributes to gaps in continuity of care and reduced morale. 31 Finally, there are a large range of paramedical providers that are needed to provide quality care for our elderly in long-term care. This includes specialists such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, and nutritionists. The demand for physiotherapy and chiropractic services has increased in the recent years. This increase is attributed to the effects of the aging of the population and shorter stays in health institutions, among other factors. These services are important to improve the quality of life of Canadians, including the elderly. As Canada's population continues to age, the demand for these services is expected to further escalate. As such, ensuring appropriate enrollment numbers for these professionals and adequate resources will be important. Recommendations The CLHIA recommends that private delivery of long-term care be encouraged and that governments do not regulate price for private delivery of services. This will act as an incentive to a vibrant private long-term care market in Canada. The CLHIA recommends that providers of care be subject to appropriate regulation and that, in particular, adequate resources are put towards the supervision of long- term care providers from a patient quality of care perspective. The CLHIA recommends that federal, provincial and territorial governments support education and outreach campaigns promoting geriatric and gerontological health care professions as career choices, and the funding of residency positions in geriatrics. The CLHIA recommends that compensation for physicians and nurses that specialize in gerontology be reformed in order to be competitive with those that specialize in other areas of medicine. The CLHIA recommends that governments invest to ensure an appropriate supply of paramedical providers (e.g., physiotherapists) to meet the long-term care of Canadians. 31 Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, http://www.rnaoknowledgedepot.ca/strengthening_nursing/rar_the_nursing_shortage.asp.