“From what we know right now, older people are the most susceptible to dying from COVID-19,” said Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Health Policy Research at the NIA in Toronto. “So for this person who’s 75 and older, you know, she’s got about an eight per cent risk of dying if she got COVID-19,” he said.
Long-term care facilities to allow visits, but strict guidelines remain
By: Alicia Draus
Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Health Policy Research at the NIA, says the pandemic has highlighted how important a role families play in caring for their loved ones in long-term care facilities. Sinha says as funding for long-term care facilities has decreased across the country in recent years, family members have been there to pick up the slack.
More seniors expected to turn to reverse mortgages due to COVID-19
By: Erica Alini
Long-term care settings accounted for more than 80 per cent of the deaths caused by COVID-19 in Canada, according to data from the National Institute on Ageing published in late May.
Long-term care facilities are the only option for many. What happens when they fall short?
By: Meghan Collie
Dr. Samir Sinha, director of geriatrics at Sinai Health System and the University Health Network in Toronto, agrees — employees need better wages and more benefits. In Ontario, long-term care workers are also not receiving enough masks or the same employment support when it comes to taking sick leave compared to doctors in a hospital, Sinha previously told Global News. This can put more pressure on workers to come in even if they feel unwell.
Canadians have ‘deluded’ themselves about the state of long-term care: doctor
In an interview with The West Block‘s Mercedes Stephenson, Dr. Samir Sinha said fixing the heartbreaking condition of long-term care homes recently exposed by the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic will take more than money — it will take real thinking about what models of care the country wants.
Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health and University Health Network, Dr. Samir Sinha, tells Mercedes Stephenson Canada is lagging behind other countries when it comes to funding long-term care.
Coronavirus outbreak: Was the COVID-19 crisis in Canada's care homes preventable?
Dawna Friesen talks to Dr. Samir Sinha about the extent of the COVID-19 outbreak and what the biggest failings that have allowed such a crisis to take hold in these homes
Quebec coroner investigates Montreal care home deaths
Dr. Samir Sinha joined Global News to talk about concerns surrounding staffing levels at long-term care homes in Canada, as more facilities report COVID-19 outbreaks among residents and workers in the wake of 31 deaths at a Montreal seniors’ home.
Coronavirus: Supporting seniors hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic
By Caryn Liberman
NIA Director of Health Policy Research, Dr. Samir Sinha spoke to Global News and said, “What we’re seeing with the older population, in your 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, your death rate goes from three to eight to 15 to 24 per cent and in fact people in nursing homes if they get it, they’re reporting death rates of 33 per cent.
He said older adults are more vulnerable to serious complications from the virus because of their weakened immune systems.
“Are they scared? Absolutely. Are they more isolated from everybody else in society right now? Absolutely because we’re telling them to do that and we’re not allowing them the interactions with the grandkids.”
Canada’s nursing homes worry coronavirus outbreak will mean residents ‘dying alone’
By Olivia Bowden
Widespread testing required to prevent outbreaks: “Long-term care homes are like tinderboxes for COVID-19 outbreaks, as they are similar to cruise ships in terms of residents being older and in close quarters,” said Dr. Samir Sinha. “There are over 400,000 Canadians who are living in seniors’ residences or nursing homes according to the last census.”
Worried about outliving your retirement savings? There’s insurance for that
By Erica Alini
The majority of Canadians in or approaching retirement are worried about outliving their savings. And yet, many fail to prepare for the one thing that has a very good chance of blowing up seniors’ living costs.
In this article, Dr. Samir Sinha, NIA Director of Health Policy Research, discusses a Sinai Health and SickKids advertisement that features his patient, Ana Clifford, and sends a message that holidays are always special times and we have to remember that sometimes they can be less special or more difficult for some people to endure.
