The Ontario Health Authority has released an analysis of deaths due to the coronavirus at Ontario long-term care homes, and how they compare at for-profit facilities, non-profit facilities, and publicly owned (government-run) facilities. It’s an eye-opener, finding that deaths were up to three times higher in the for-profit facilities.
The data tracks 1,057 deaths – 700 in for-profit homes, 275 in non-profit homes and 82 in publicly owned homes.
An excerpt from the report:
In summary, the Health Coalition reported that the rate of death, as measured by the proportion of deaths over the total number of beds in homes with COVID-19 outbreaks resulting in death, is:
- 9 per cent in for-profit homes
- 5.25 per cent in non-profit homes, and
- 3.62 per cent in publicly-owned (municipal) homes.
The Health Coalition reported the data shows not only that for-profit homes exhibit higher rates of death but also that rate has increased in the for-profits since April 28 faster than in non-profits. The rate of death per bed has declined in publicly owned (municipal) homes over this period.
The number of homes with outbreaks resulting in death has increased for all types of homes from April 28 to May 5, as has the number of deaths in those homes as follows:
- The number of municipal homes with outbreaks resulting in death has increased from 8 to 10 in this period.
- The number of non-profit homes with outbreaks resulting in death has increased from 28 to 33 in this period.
- The number of for-profit homes with outbreaks resulting in death has increased from 45 to 50 in this period.