The director of long-term care for Health PEI says they are looking into what caused more than two dozen staff to call in sick at the Prince Edward Home in Charlottetown on Saturday.

According to Calvin Joudrie, about 14 to 16 workers typically call in ill over the weekends. But this last Saturday, 26 were on the sick list.

"We have been working with our staff during the pandemic to try to see what the balance is of trying to get the extra staff and time in there to support our residents with the extra care needed in the pandemic versus their need to have vacation and time off," he said.

"That's been a challenge for us."

Joudrie said the list included a combination of direct-care staff, such as nurses, and support staff, like housekeeping.

"We know that we've been stressing our staff out and we know that our sick time is higher now than it has been, for instance, comparable to two years ago."

While he is still unsure exactly why so many didn't work on Saturday, he said he believes staffing shortages and exhaustion are taking a toll.

"Over the last 18, 19 months, I've seen staff going above and beyond," he said.

"I think the problem now is that, you know, we've been in it for so long that staff are tiring and burning out and needing a break."

When so many people are missing from work on the same day services are sadly jeopardized, said Joudrie.

As staff stretch thin to ensure medicine and cleaning is prioritized, a full bath might be turned into a bedside bath. Or residents could find themselves eating in their room instead of with others.

"That's one of the other unfortunate side effects," he said.

"Sometimes, because you're running here and there and everywhere, … having the staff to bring everyone to a central area and have a sit-down meal can be compromised."

It's tiring for the residents as well. The long-term care home has 120 beds and while three of those are kept vacant to reduce the load for existing staff, Joudrie said they do receive complaints when services are toned down.

"I support the fact that residents have a right to have ... the right services in their home. So we really want to do that and our staff want to do that," he said.

For now, it seems to be a balancing act. Walking that fine line between not overworking workers while also keeping residents happy. But, Joudrie said, they are looking for a solution.

"They still need the service and the expectations that they always have," he said, "It's coming in as a perfect storm. So staff and residents both are expressing their concerns that we need to do better, and I agree."