Province to Pay Only a Dollar More a Day Per Resident for the Delivery of Long Term Care

TORONTO (July 18, 2005) – The Ontario government has announced this year’s base operating funding increase for long term care, and it is a major disappointment. 

Of the $264 million in increased funding earmarked for the sector in the recent provincial budget, only $27.6 million in new money will actually flow to care programs and services in the homes. That amounts to only about a dollar a day per resident. The details were confirmed in letters sent to homes from George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. 

“The McGuinty government has fallen far short of its own commitment to adequately fund long term care. Tragically, the people affected are the most frail and vulnerable in our society – the very people who were promised a better deal by this government,” said Donna Rubin, CEO of the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors (OANHSS).

“The public hears a lot of big numbers related to long term care. But when you look at what’s really going towards the care of the residents, it’s a different story,” Rubin notes. Here are the facts:

·                    During the last election, the Liberals pledged to raise annual funding for homes by $6,000 per resident, or by $450 million a year. The Liberals acknowledged that this was the amount needed to ensure an appropriate level of care after years of funding neglect.

·                    But after two provincial budgets, they are less than a third of the way to their commitment. The total increase in funding per resident is little more than $2,000.

·                    This year’s increase is about 1.5 per cent, while costs are going up by more than 3 per cent. Minister Smitherman says homes now have sufficient funding to hire an additional 2,000 staff (including 600 nurses) as well as implement new enhanced care requirements. The truth is – with funding falling behind inflationary cost pressures – most homes will have difficulty keeping the staff they hired last year. And that means residents will receive less service.

OANHSS calculates that the annual operating funding shortfall is now $320 million. Until  the province meets this obligation, many long term care residents will continue to go without the services they require – such as adequate levels of nursing and personal care, mental health services, and rehabilitation and restorative care.

“The government wants to lead a revolution in long term care, but that’s not going to happen on a dollar more a day per resident,” added Rubin.

OANHSS is the provincial association representing not-for-profit providers of long term care, services and housing for seniors. Members include municipal and charitable homes for the aged, non-profit nursing homes, seniors’ housing projects and community services agencies. Member organizations operate over 26,000 long term care beds and over 5,000 seniors’ housing units across the province.

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For further information, please contact:

Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes & Services for Seniors
7050 Weston Road, Suite 700, Woodbridge, Ontario L4L 8G7
(P) 905-851-8821
(F) 905-851-0744

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OANHSS members include not-for-profit providers of long term care, services and housing for seniors in Ontario.
Members include municipal and charitable long term care homes, non-profit nursing homes,
seniors' housing projects and community service agencies.