(Waterloo) – Today Progressive Conservative Health Critic, Elizabeth Witmer, visited the Columbia Forest Long Term Care Centre, where she received hundreds of postcards from seniors asking for more care.

In February, the Ontario Long Term Care Association launched a province-wide postcard campaign. Nursing homes across the province are asking for the McGuinty government’s help. Seniors across Ontario hope Mr. McGuinty will not forget seniors during the upcoming budget. Nursing homes are asking the McGuinty government to use the March 26th budget to correct the 6 year erosion in funding for housekeeping, maintenance, laundry, training, utilities and other services that support senior care, comfort and safety.

“Five years of Liberal inaction has seriously restricted Ontario’s ability to meet the growing needs of the 77,000 seniors in long-term care homes.” said Witmer. “I remain deeply concerned by this. I believe our seniors deserve to live with dignity and respect. That is why I launched a plan to increase care in nursing homes, last year.” added Witmer.

Last fall, Witmer launched a petition calling on the McGuinty government to enhance long-term care. Through the petition, thousands of Ontarians expressed their support for Witmer’s 6 POINT PLAN to boost nursing home care.

WITMER’S SIX POINT PLAN:

• A sector-wide staffing increase of 4,500 full-time positions within the next year.
• Expedite the redevelopment of Ontario’s 35,000 oldest LTC beds.
• Achieve an average of 3 worked hours of personal care, per day, within a year.
• Simplify the regulations which govern nursing homes.
• Produce a comprehensive plan with benchmarks to reduce LTC waitlists of more than 25,000 people.
• Address inflationary pressures by adequately funding the increased operating costs of LTC homes. 

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For further information contact:
Elizabeth Witmer, MPP
(416) 325-1306

Long-Term Care Background

• Ontario funds significantly less care for residents than Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and New Brunswick.
• More than 25,000 Ontarians are currently waiting for a LTC bed. In 2005, there were 12,000 people on waiting lists. An increase of more than 50%! There are 1,694 people waiting for a LTC bed in the Waterloo Wellington LHIN.
• Some 35,000 seniors are living in LTC beds which do not meet the more home-like design standards introduced in 1998.
• The average age of LTC residents is 83 years.
• Approximately 73% of LTC residents have some form of cognitive impairment or dementia.
• Nursing homes are short staffed.
• Hard working LTC staff are burdened by cumbersome government regulations.

Background on Alternate-Level-of-Care Patients

• Alternate-level-of-care (ALC) patients are those waiting in hospital beds who could be better cared for in other parts of our health care system.
• In February 2009, Tom Closson, President and CEO of the OHA stated “the single biggest challenge facing Ontario hospitals is the number of ALC patients waiting in hospitals for alternate-levels-of-care.” 
• According to the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA), approximately 20 per cent of acute-care beds are occupied by alternate-level-of-care patients.
• According to the Waterloo Wellington LHIN Integrated Health Service Plan, “The average length of time people need ALC in the WWLHIN is 14.8 days, which is slightly higher than the provincial average. Using bed equivalent estimates, in 2004/05 there were approximately 70 acute care beds (8% if acute care bed capacity) in WWLHIN hospitals occupied by ALC patients.”
• In February 2009, the Waterloo Record reported that in Waterloo – Wellington, 23 per cent of acute care beds in hospitals are occupied ALC patients.

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