Province Requires Residents to Pay More for Long Term Care

TORONTO (July 2, 2002) -- Instead of providing adequate provincial funding to long term care, Queen's Park has decided to shift more of the costs onto the backs of facility residents and their families.

The province has sent letters to LTC facilities advising them that the co-payment (the amount that residents are required to pay) will be significantly increased effective August 1, 2002. The co-payment will jump from $44.51 to $51.53 a day -- an increase of more than $7 a day or $200 a month.

The Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors (OANHSS) learned of this increase in a recent meeting with Dan Newman, Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

"The government did not consult us on this decision, and we are very concerned about the hardship this will create for some," said Donna Rubin, CEO of OANHSS. "We are opposed to this increase because we think it's wrong to shift more of the financial burden onto the backs of the frail elderly and their families."

The long term care sector has been urging Queen's Park for more than a year now to raise the amount which the government provides in base operating funding to facilities. "But instead of accepting its responsibility to adequately fund the system through public monies, the government has decided to off-load the increase to individuals," Rubin explained.

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

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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.