PC's critical of Liberal Long Term Care Policies

News Release
Ont. PC Party

(Queen’s Park – September 8, 2008) In light of new long-term care (LTC) statistics indicating length of wait lists for LTC beds, Elizabeth Witmer, the Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition and Party Health Critic is urging Dalton McGuinty to immediately live up to his previous commitments to deliver a revolution in long-term care, which included $6,000 more in personal care for every resident.
“These long waiting lists are another sign that the McGuinty government is failing to meet the needs of Ontario’s older citizens,” stated Witmer. “As well, they failed to recognize that Ontarians who now live in long-term care homes are increasingly older, more fragile and have greater complex care needs. Five years of Liberal inaction has restricted the province’s ability to meet the demands of our aging population.”
In Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario:
Long-term care residents receive far less personal care than LTC residents in Alberta, Manitoba and New Brunswick. Ontario’s nursing home residents receive 2.6 worked hours of personal care, per day. This number is much lower than the 3+ plus worked hours provided by the three other provinces. This gap in care is steadily increasing due to a shortage of staff.
LTC homes are short staffed since they do not have the resources to hire enough front-line staff to provide the level of personal care residents require. As a result, Ontario’s dedicated LTC health workers are overworked. The lack of staff means Ontario will continue to lag behind other provinces in the amount of personal care they provide to nursing home residents.
Some 35,000 seniors live in nursing homes which do not meet more home-like design standards introduced in 1998 by the former PC government. Unless Dalton McGuinty initiates a promised capital renewal plan for these below-standard spaces, seniors will continue to live in three and four bed wards, without the dignity of an en-suite bathroom or wheelchair accessibility.
There are more than 400 regulations which govern nursing homes. Consequently, dedicated front-line health workers are preoccupied with measuring the amount of coffee in a LTC resident’s cup or labelling toothbrushes instead of delivering quality personal care to residents.
Witmer specified that a “plan of action” to enhance long-term care must include:
A sector-wide staffing increase of 4,500 full-time positions rolled out this year;
Expediting the redevelopment of Ontario’s 35,000 oldest long-term care beds by providing adequate support and funding;
Achieving an average of 3 worked hours of personal care, per day within a year;
Prioritizing the over 400 regulations which govern nursing homes;
A comprehensive plan with benchmarks to reduce LTC wait lists;
Addressing inflationary pressures by adequately funding the increased operating costs of LTC homes, so the homes can deliver the housekeeping, laundry, maintenance and other services that enhance resident care.
Five years ago the McGuinty government promised a revolution in long-term care; it has not happened. “Progress is happening at a snails pace,” said Witmer. At the current rate Ontario will not come close to achieving 3 worked hours of personal care, per resident, per day for another three years. “As time lapses, Ontario will fall further behind other jurisdictions delivering much higher levels of personal care. It’s time for Dalton McGuinty to step up and immediately take the necessary steps to enhance long-term care. Our elderly parents, family and friends deserve to live with dignity and respect,” stated Witmer.