Dear UPSE Health PEI Members,
We want to update you on recent developments regarding overcapacity in the health system and how this will affect Long-Term Care (LTC) in Prince Edward Island. This communication will explain what the employer (Health PEI) is proposing, the concerns we have raised, and the actions your union is taking on your behalf.
What Health PEI Has Announced
UPSE Health PEI members informed the union that Health PEI issued a memorandum outlining that the health system is currently overcapacity. To deal with the overcapacity issue, the employer is exploring options that may include placing residents in “non-traditional” or “unconventional” spaces within LTC facilities. This means using areas not originally designed or resourced for standard LTC resident care, which raises real concerns about safety, staffing, and quality of care.
UPSE issued a letter (January 23) upon receiving this memorandum and requested a meeting with the Employer. On February 2, 2026, UPSE met with representatives from Health PEI to discuss the content of the memorandum. Unfortunately, the employer’s approach remains reactive rather than solving the root causes of the crisis. Their plan appears to lack clear strategies to ensure safe, high-quality care for residents and to protect the working conditions and workloads of LTC staff.
Why This Matters
The overcapacity and staffing crisis in LTC did not happen overnight. For more than a decade, UPSE has consistently advocated for better planning, including:
- More LTC beds to reflect PEI’s aging population.
- Investments in recruitment and retention for Resident Care Workers (RCWs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs).
- Opposition to funding models that put profits ahead of care (privatization).
UPSE’s Key Concerns Raised with Health PEI
In our meeting with Health PEI, we directly asked how the proposed expansion into non-traditional spaces would address the following concerns:
- Staffing: With existing shortages of trained professionals in LTC, how will additional residents be supported without increased staffing? Will agency staff be used to fill gaps?
- Safety: How will the employer ensure safe work environments and safe resident care (fire safety, resident transfers, equipment)?
- Workplace Violence: We know LTC staff experience verbal and physical abuse from some residents and family members. What plans are in place to protect workers if stressors increase?
- Appropriate Placements: LTC should not become a default placement for individuals whose needs are better met elsewhere, such as mental health settings.
- Person-Centred Care: Residents deserve quality of life and dignity, including access to activity spaces and care plans that meet their needs.
- Financial Fairness: Residents and families pay significant fees for care. It is unacceptable to charge full rates when the level of service and quality of life are compromised.
What UPSE Is Doing
UPSE has formally raised these concerns with Health PEI leadership and continues to press for:
- A consultation process that includes frontline workers and union representatives in planning decisions.
- Safe staffing levels and commitments to direct, permanent hires rather than reliance on costly agency staff.
- Concrete safety protections and violence prevention measures for members.
- Clarity and accountability on how the employer’s decisions will improve, not weaken, resident care and workplace conditions.
Our meeting with Health PEI made it clear that they do not have an adequate plan in place to deal with the overcapacity issue. We will continue to advocate for meaningful solutions that protect staff, residents, and standards of care.
Please stay tuned for more updates as we await a response from the employer to the concerns identified at the February 2, 2026, meeting.
In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to UPSE with any information, questions, or concerns at 902-892-5335 or email peiupse@peiupse.ca
UPSE Communications