Ontario Fails to Respond to the Needs of
Long-Term Care Residents
TORONTO (September 20, 2001) The
Ontario government quietly informed the long-term care sector late last week
that base operating funding will be increased by only $30 million this year and
a similar amount next year -- far below the $500 million over three years which
the sector said it urgently needed.
The increase means that the per diem paid by the
province will rise to about $62.60 (up slightly from the current $60) and will
remain one of the lowest rates in the country. Long-term care providers were
seeking a per diem of $85.
"At most, this increase will result in only
five more minutes of nursing care a day for residents of these facilities,"
said Donna Rubin, CEO of the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and
Services for Seniors (OANHSS).
A recent review of long term care, conducted by
PricewaterhouseCoopers, ranked Ontario last among 10 jurisdictions in meeting
the needs of residents. The study found that this province provides the least
amount of nursing and therapy services -- behind Mississippi, South Dakota,
Michigan, Maine, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands.
"Today's meagre increase will do nothing to
address that gap. We will continue to fall further and further behind,"
Rubin said.
According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers report,
Ontario residents receive the least amount of registered nursing care (less than
15 minutes a day) and the least amount of nursing and personal care (a total of
about 2 hours a day).
In the face of these mounting problems,
long-term care facilities in the province have had little choice but to cut back
on programs and services. According to a member survey completed by OANHSS:
*
The most frequently cited impact of underfunding has been in reduced
interactions with residents and families. For example, residents with dementia
and behavioural needs are often not getting the special attention they require.
Also, residents may not receive the level of personal support or help with daily
living they need. For example, routine baths may be given only once a week.
*
Staff are stretched to the limit. For example, each Registered Nurse now
looks after an average of 60 residents during the day shifts, and 100 residents
during the night shifts.
*
In many facilities, all employees including administrative personnel are
having to help out with certain duties, such as feeding the residents, because
of staff shortages.
"We're disappointed and
saddened by the government's failure to respond to the needs of the frail
elderly who depend on long-term care," Rubin stated.
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.
- 30 -
For
more information contact Debbie Humphreys
or call 905-851-8821 ext 233.
|
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
Comments or questions about our site?
Contact
Debbie Humphreys
at 905-851-8821 ext. 233
Media Enquiries
© Copyright 2008 OANHSS
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.