S	eniors' Issues Today

November 2002

The Dollars and Sense of Long Term Care

Highlights:

Long term facility care remains underfunded in Ontario by $430 million a year – an $18 increase in the per diem paid by the province is required to close the gap.

Nursing homes receive millions more than homes for the aged in additional funding – this inequity must be rectified to ensure residents are funded at the same level of care regardless of which type of facility they live in.

The government needs to invest dollars now to ensure a healthy, sustainable continuum of services for seniors in Ontario.

Closing the Funding Gap

Long term care is a mainstream issue for Ontarians as evidenced by the public’s swift and intense reaction to the proposed resident co-payment increase this past summer.

Seniors and their families are frustrated and have shown that they are ready and willing to speak out, but long term care facilities can no longer meet their needs:

Provincial funding has not kept pace with the changing needs of residents – the average age is now 86 compared to 73 two decades ago.	â	Long term care residents receive only about two hours of nursing and personal care a day and the food allowance for each resident is only $4.49 a day.

Residents often have multiple chronic illnesses and require special care.	â	Staff is stretched to the limit with each registered nurse looking after up to 100 residents at night.

About half suffer from dementia and other mental health illnesses.	â	Less than 6 per cent of residents with dementia and behaviour problems receive any professional intervention.

Over three-quarters require rehabilitation to maintain their level of functioning.	â	Only 10 per cent of residents with rehabilitation potential actually receive physical therapy.

Despite the $100 million in new operating funding announced last August, long term care remains underfunded by about $430 million a year. What is needed is an $18 per day increase -- from $70 to $88 -- in the government’s share of the per diem for each long term care resident.

We recommend that this be spread over two years with an investment of $215 million, or $9.35 per resident in the upcoming fiscal year and the same in 2004-05.

This investment would go a long way to addressing the problems caused by chronic underfunding – without it Ontario will not be providing the level of service our seniors deserve.

Funding Equity Critical

Two seniors with similar needs but living in two different facilities may not receive the same government funding. Why? Because funding for long term care is not equitable. A succession of government policy directions has created funding inequity within the sector.

Our analysis has revealed that nursing homes receive on average 10 per cent more government subsidies through supplemental funding initiatives than the typical charitable home for the aged. The estimated additional amount going to nursing homes is about $6.00 per resident day, which represents about $70 million per year.

The province must immediately take steps to equalize funding for facilities to ensure a level playing field.

A Healthy, Sustainable Continuum

The entire network of services for seniors in Ontario is sagging under the weight of an aging population that has increasingly more complex care and service needs.

Substantial investments are needed at all points along the long term care continuum – home care, community services, supportive housing, facilities. The effectiveness of any one of these components is dependent upon the strength of the system as a whole.

Long term care is a public priority. Dollars spent on adequately funding the sector, thereby taking pressure off other more costly parts of the healthcare system, makes sense. Good sense.

OANHSS is the provincial association representing not-for-profit providers of long term care, services and housing for seniors. Member organizations operate over 25,000 long term care beds and over 5,000 seniors housing units across the province. Please contact Donna Rubin, Chief Executive Officer at 905-851-8821 extension 230 or drubin@oanhss.org.

C	ontact OANHSS

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.