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Issues/Positions
Issues/Positions
In 2007, OANHSS
delivered a mandate letter to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
identifying the following six issues that we believe should be the
priority long term care objectives to be achieved over the next four
years.
Minimum Level of
Care
OANHSS wants to see the
level of care increased to an average of three hours per resident per
day, whether or not a specific care standard is mandated in legislation.
By achieving such a benchmark, Ontario will be catching up to other
progressive jurisdictions in the level of care provided to those living
in long term care homes.
Operating
Funding
OANHSS estimates that
operating funding to the sector will have to increase by $586 million in
2008-2009 in order to support an average of three hours of care per
resident per day noted above and to address other shortfalls.
Mental
Health
Instances of violence
and abuse are on the rise because of the changing needs of the
residents. Today, they are older and require more complex care than even
a decade ago. Over 65% per cent suffer from dementia or some other form
of cognitive impairment. Yet funding and staffing have not kept pace
with these demands. Long term care homes are finding it increasingly
difficult to cope, especially with volatile and aggressive behaviour for
which they are not adequately trained or resourced.
We need a system-wide,
comprehensive strategy to address this growing problem. Currently, there
are few alternate care locations where potentially violent residents can
be transferred. We need specialized units that can care for those with
aggressive behaviours so that other residents and staff in our homes can
live and work in a safe environment. Work also needs to be done to
address other special populations such as those with developmental
disabilities and those with acquired brain injury (ABI),
Huntington’s disease and substance abuse issues.
Aging in
Place
Continuums of care, or
campus-like settings that include housing for seniors in addition to a
long term care home were developed with the encouragement of government,
to allow seniors to “age in place” or move to a higher level
of care as their needs require. But sadly, this is not always the case
under current rules and some are forced to relocate to another long term
care home away from their friends and even their spouses.
OANHSS believes that the
province must address this issue in regulations under the new Long Term
Care Homes Act. We are requesting higher priority ranking for long term
care applicants who currently reside on the same campus as the
home.
New Regulatory
Framework
We are committed to
working with the government to develop the regulations to accompany the
new Long-Term Care Homes Act. We support all efforts to enhance
standards and ensure full accountability for the sector, but this should
not become such a ‘paper burden’ that it has a negative
impact on the amount of staff time available for resident
care.
Support for
Not-for-Profit Providers
Not-for-profit providers
have a long history of bringing added value to long term care and
community services in Ontario. Government support for not-for-profit
delivery is embedded in both the legislation governing Local Health
Integration Networks (LHINs) and more specifically in
the new Long Term
Care Homes Act, which states:
The people of Ontario
and their Government are committed to the promotion of the delivery of
long-term care home services by not-for-profit organizations.
Despite this, there has
been a noticeable erosion of the not-for-profit sector over the last few
years. OANHSS is looking for concrete action on the government’s
stated support for not-for-profit delivery.
