New figures from the Ministry of Health confirm that more than 22,000 Ontarians were waiting for a long-term care bed in February 2008; an increase of 10,000 people since August 2005.
(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.
* See backgrounder below for history and LTC wait lists.
For further information contact:
Elizabeth Witmer, MPP
(416) 325-1306
BACKGROUNDER
Dalton McGuinty’s Long-Term Care Record
Dalton McGuinty recently stated that the Liberals must do a “better job” caring for Ontario’s elderly. He would do well to listen to his own advice. Dalton McGuinty failed to keep his 2003 election promise to provide $6,000 in personal care for every long-term care resident. In fact, during his first term in office Dalton McGuinty delivered only half of the funding he promised for personal care. Furthermore, the McGuinty Liberal government established new regulatory requirements for nursing homes, without ensuring the homes had the necessary funding and resources to meet these standards.
The Progressive Conservative’s Long-Term Care Record
The need for community and home-care services was recognized by the Progressive Conservative (PC) government when an unprecedented $1.2 billion was invested to improve access to high quality long-term care and home-care services across the province of Ontario.
In 1998, to foster a more home-like atmosphere for residents, the PC government launched an extensive capital renewal plan which built 20,000 new LTC beds and upgraded 16,000 LTC beds to comply with new design standards. This landmark investment was necessary since neither the Liberals nor the New Democrats had built any new beds since 1988.
To help ensure that Ontarians were provided with the appropriate levels of care in all settings, the PC government’s historic investment added thousands of front-line health jobs to the system; including 7,900 positions for registered nurses and registered practical nurses as well as another 19,600 jobs for health care aides, homemakers and other front-line care workers.
These investments directly benefited families, the elderly, the disabled and their caregivers, by providing additional beds, more community services, more health care providers and new or renovated facilities.
LONG-TERM CARE WAIT LISTS
February 2008
Local Health Integration Network # of Ontarians on a LTC Wait List
Central 2,004
Central East 3,026
Central West 301
Champlain 2,383
Erie St. Clair 863
Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant 2,646
Mississauga Halton 1,015
North East 1,199
North Simcoe Muskoka 1,221
North West 593
South East 1,672
South West 2,178
Toronto Central 1,685
Waterloo Wellington 1,365
Total
22,151
May 2008
Local Health Integration Network # of Ontarians on a LTC Wait List
Central 2,097
Central East 3,262
Central West 311
Champlain 2,433
Erie St. Clair 897
Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Not Available
Mississauga Halton 1,071
North East 1,260
North Simcoe Muskoka Not Available
North West 613
South East 1,763
South West 2,139
Toronto Central 1,705
Waterloo Wellington 1,435
Total: 18,986
* Province-wide utilization of long-term care homes in May 2008 was 99 per cent.
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