By Isabel Terrell 

As the health system grapples with the health human resources crisis, a first-of- its-kind report offers a critical look inside the workforce and experiences of one of the most diverse and underfunded health sectors in Ontario, home care.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has had lasting health, social and economic impacts. It has also served as a reminder of the broader, persistent shadow pandemic of systemic racism that has been evident in disproportionate COVID-19 health outcomes for Indigenous, Black, Asian, Brown and other racialized communities, exposing existing cracks within the province’s health and social safety network. The challenges that health care workers have faced throughout the pandemic, which has contributed to the desperate shortage of health care workers, has also disproportionately affected racialized communities.

According to the Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA), staff vacancies in the top three front line home care positions increased from 6.8% to 17.4% from 2020 to 2021. OCSA represents more than 220 home and community care agencies across Ontario that together support more than one million Ontarians.

“We need to find innovative solutions to attract and retain our health care workers,” notes Kelley Myers, Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Development at VHA Home HealthCare (VHA). “As a sector, home care has a largely immigrant, female dominated workforce. Celebrating that diversity and ensuring we are providing a safe and supportive work environment for our team members is one of the ways we can demonstrate how much we value them.”

One of the ways in which VHA has begun working to understand and support its diverse team is through the development of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Report for 2021, one of the first reports of its kind for a home care organization in Ontario. The report shares information gathered through a comprehensive DEI survey, which asked staff and service providers as well as volunteers and Board members to respond to statements in several key areas, providing feedback and demographic data.

Of over 1500 survey respondents, 82% identified as women, with 78% indicating they were born outside of Canada. Moreover, the report identified over 100 languages spoken within VHA’s workforce. 73% of participants identified as being part of a racialized group, including East/Southeast Asian, African, Caribbean and South Asian.

A number of actions have already been initiated to support these communities including education sessions, a thorough policy review and the development of a “Call It Out” statement to demonstrate the organization’s commitment to zero tolerance for discrimination. The report also outlines a 2022 Action Plan to build on these efforts which includes further education and training with a focus on inclusive recruitment and promotionknowledge building in the area of Indigenous cultural safety, and ongoing data collection and analysis to better understand diversity at VHA and any incidents of harassment or discrimination, and special events to celebrate cultural days of recognition throughout the year.

“Home care workers do so much to help vulnerable residents stay safe in their homes. They are needed now more than ever,” added Myers. “These learnings are helping us to provide a healthy and culturally sensitive workplace. These learnings are also enhancing our understanding of the environments in which staff and service providers are providing care. With demographic data and staff and service provider feedback, we can measure and monitor the impact of systemic discrimination on our workforce and develop initiatives to address these issues – while continuing to monitor metrics for success.”

At VHA, we are committed to doing the important work of addressing issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, racism and anti-Black racism. Key data indicators and staff feedback are both important tools in driving DEI and anti-Racism initiatives, and in understanding ways VHA and Ontario can support our growing healthcare sectors and workforce.

Isabel Terrell  is a Communications Specialist at VHA Home Health Care.