Time to Care – Long-Term Care

Since 1992, the complexity of care needs of Ontario’s long-term care residents – the majority of who are 85 years of age or older – has increased significantly. 73 per cent of residents have some form of Alzheimer’s or dementia and most need help with feeding, bathing, toileting and getting out of bed.

Yet Ontario funds long-term care at a lower level than just about any other Canadian province. The result of provincial underfunding is that there isn’t enough staff to provide residents with the care time residents need each day to live with dignity in Ontario nursing homes.

Here’s how you can help make a 4 hour daily care standard the law.

Print out our Time to Care petition and get your family and friends to sign it.  Since this petition is being submitted to the Ontario Legislative Assembly we require that ALL petitions be original copies signed and returned to:  Kerry Davenport, CUPE Ontario, 80 Commerce Valley Drive East, Suite 1, Markham, ON, L3T 0B2.

What needs to change?

•    An amendment must be made to the Long-Term Care Homes Act (2007) for a legislated care standard of a minimum 4 hours per resident each day adjusted for acuity level and case mix;

•    Public funding for LTC homes must be tied to the provision of quality care and staffing levels that meet the legislated minimum care standard of 4 hours;

•    Ensure funding accountability by making public reporting of staffing levels at each Ontario LTC home mandatory;

•    Immediately provide funding for specialized facilities for persons with cognitive impairment who have been assessed as potentially aggressive, and staff them with sufficient numbers of appropriately trained workers;

•    The province must stop closing complex continuing care beds and alternative level of care beds to end the downloading of hospital patients with complex medical conditions to long-term care homes.