b'HEALTH & WELL-BEINGHolding spacefor moral healingThe COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on staff in long-term careBy Kate Dupuis, Jane Kuepfer & Scott MitchellD uring the COVID-19 pandemic, staff working inmany physically separated from the comfort and care of long-term care homes were often required totheir family and friends during their final moments.perform duties outside of their typical day-to-dayToday, long-term care homes continue to be affected by responsibilities. With vendors, visitors and even some the pandemic, with dozens of outbreaks occurring each part-time staff being restricted from entering the long-termweek in homes across Ontario. It can be difficult for staff to care homes, frontline staff were often expected to takesee an end to the restrictions, and many may feel helpless on multiple new rolessuch as entertainer, confidant,because there is no finish line in sight.spiritual care provider and even, in some cases, funeral directoroften with limited support or guidance fromStaff working in long-term care homes often feel an colleagues and leadership, amidst fears for their own safetyincreased burden due to the nature of their work and and negative media coverage of their workplaces. This hasthe emotionally intimate relationships they develop with led to an increase in mental health concerns, burnout, andresidents. This is in stark contrast to acute care where a poor staff retention.patient may only be at a health care facility for a short time without the opportunity for the frontline worker to develop Staff were called upon to make rapid modifications tothe same close relationship with the individual and/or with practice in order to best serve the needs of their residentstheir family, friends and care partners as they might in a while respecting and navigating constantly changinglong-term care context.public health regulations. This left staff with little timeMoral distress and moral injuryand capacity to take care of their own mental, emotional, social, physical and spiritual health. With so much uncertainty and the need for rapid responses to the emergency situations brought on by the pandemic, We know the pandemic has disproportionately impactedmany staff working in long-term care were called upon people living and working in long-term care. We also knowto act in a way that is inconsistent with their training, that the majority of deaths during the early waves of theexperience, and with their own moral and ethical belief pandemic were among long-term care residents, withsystem. For example, staff recount harrowing stories of 36 LONG TERM CARE TODAY Fall/Winter 2023'