Lorna Ross says she feels abandoned and caught in the middle of the health care worker strike at Ten Ten Sinclair. She says she’s forced to stay in her condo, waiting for services that may or may not come.

“We live minute by minute, day by day. So I never know when I’m actually going to get checked on,” she explained.

“My experience with this whole strike is very stressful, very depressing, very annoying.”

The strike began Wednesday, with workers refusing to return to work unless they get better wages. Ross says she wants to be spending her days socializing with her friends, but due to the strike, she can’t leave her condo.

“With this, it’s so different, like I can’t even make plans with my plans doing things, even if I tried, because like I said, don’t know when I’m gonna get service,” explained Ross.

Ten Ten Sinclair and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority have been bringing other workers and agencies to help with residents’ care, but Ross says it’s leaving her deeply uncomfortable not knowing who is coming to her door.

“You don’t know these people. They don’t know you and you don’t know them. How are you supposed to feel safe? Like, I’m letting two people come back … and give me a bath. Sure. There’s only so much a person can handle.”

Ross’ needs are well-known to the regular healthcare workers, but she’s constantly having to remind new workers what her needs and boundaries are. She says for comfort reasons, she only works with female aides, but they keep forgetting.

“I have to expose myself to them. I have to get naked, I have to get cleaned up. You know how awkward that is? It’s very uncomfortable for me.”

After four days without a daily bath, Ross says people finally came to help her Saturday afternoon, but left her in the tub due to an emergency somewhere else in the building. She says two workers came back – a male and female – and she had to remind them again.

“You hear a lot of people saying, oh we care about tenants. Do you really? Ask yourself that. Do you really care about us?” she asked.

Ross says she’s at the end of her rope, and the gap left by workers on the picket lines has left her with physical impacts from the stress.

“I’m so tired, I can’t sleep. I sleep but not as heavy as one should because I’m always on high alert thinking, am I gonna miss someone? I was up at seven, I was up at eight, I was waiting.”

Ross says she’s hoping for a quick resolution to the strike as she can’t continue living this way, but also says she’s doubtful things will go back to normal anytime soon.