Continuing care assistants across Nova Scotia are getting a significant raise.
At Wednesday’s COVID-19 briefing, Premier Tim Houston announced the province will spend $65 million to increase the salaries of all publicly funded CCAs by 23 per cent.
That will bring the top paid CCAs annual salary to $48,419, an annual increase of close to $9,000.
Houston hopes raising wages to near the highest levels in the country will entice people to return to the field.
“To those of you who have felt undervalued to the point that you left the profession, please come back. We need you now more than ever,” said Houston. “We want you; we need you; we value you and we respect you.”
Executive Director with Queens County Home Support Annette Hartlen says their organization has lost approximately 25 per cent of their staff during the pandemic.
“Prior to the pandemic we had between 60 and 70. Unfortunately with the pandemic we're down now to about 45 but we're hoping of course with this increase, because staffing has been a huge challenge,” said Hartlen. “Like I say not only for us but for many other providers of home support services and in long term care, we're hoping that this will entice more people into the profession.”
Hartlen says having fewer workers to cover the same number of clients puts a higher burden on the remaining CCAs and many people burn out.
“I worry about them because they're working 40, 50 hours, [sometimes] 60 hours a week trying to get as many client visits in as they can, and many needs met. I admire them for what they are doing and I'm hoping we'll soon be able to give them a reprieve,” said Hartlen.
She says the representatives from across her profession have been meeting with government about the need to address their challenges and it seems the message is getting through.
“The money is great and it goes a long way of helping our CCAs,” said Hartlen. “But I think it's the government's recognition of their value that is more important.”
The pay raise goes into effect Feb. 10.
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson
To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.