Provincial Budget Goes Part Way in Meeting Needs of LTC Residents

TORONTO (March 27, 2003) -- The Ontario government's $100-million increase in funding for nursing and personal care in long term care facilities, announced in today's provincial budget, goes part way to addressing the critical shortfalls in the system.

"This will help, but there is still a long way to go," said Donna Rubin, CEO of the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors OANHSS) in reaction to the announcement in the provincial budget.

Over the past year, OANHSS has been actively urging the province to address the annual funding shortfall which it has identified at $430 million. In pre-budget consultations and submissions to government, OANHSS recommended that this deficit be eliminated by investing an additional $215 million this year and a similar amount next year.

According to a study commissioned by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the province ranks last out of 10 jurisdictions in meeting the needs of residents.

"Today's budget will not improve Ontario's position," Rubin said.

Ontario's long term care residents receive only about 15 minutes of registered nursing care a day; only one in 10 requiring physical therapy get these services; and while more than half suffer from dementia and other mental health illnesses, less than six per cent of these cases are treated.

As well, residents must be fed on a daily food budget of $4.49 a day. This amount has increased by only 23 cents since 1993.

Residents today are older (their average age is 86) and their care requirements are much more complex than in the past. Their acuity levels have risen by almost 20 per cent in the past decade. They do not `walk in the door' as they did years ago. Now they come from hospitals, psychiatric facilities, and crisis situations in the community. Many require intravenous treatments, gastric feeding tubes, and oxygen.

"This is a small step forward, and we will be looking for government to fully meet the needs of today's residents," Rubin noted.

OANHSS is the provincial association representing not-for-profit providers of long term care, services and housing for seniors. Its member organizations operate over 25,000 long term care beds and over 5,000 seniors housing units across the province.

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For further information, contact:

Debbie Humphreys  
905-851-8821 ext. 233   

Steve Williams
416-777-0368  

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.