‘Staffing shortage and lack of pay increase affecting clients’: disability support worker

Here is a follow-up to a story we brought you last week about disability support workers frustrated about not seeing a wage increase for the last eight years. A worker in Lethbridge says the lack of pay and staffing shortage is now having an effect on their clients.  

“Really affects our individuals. Our individuals were seeing a ton of anxiety and frustration and trust issues because they’re having people come in and out of their lives like a revolving door. They just start, one of the big things with working in this field is building connections with others, building rapport. And how can you build that rapport when you’re not sure who is going to be hanging out with you tomorrow morning. So it’s a universal challenge. Like, I have co workers now that are working three jobs,” said Heather Lyons, Community Disability Support Worker with the Ability Resource Association.

Lyons says they would like to see a permanent change including a pay increase of around 18 per cent along with more staff members.