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Long‐term care (LTC) residents, workers and Members of Provincial Parliament awoke June 30 to the aroma of cupcakes with a twist. The pastries and other sweets delivered to LTC facilities and Liberal MPPs offices by CUPE LTC sector members smelled like any other, but carried a message that residents in long‐term care deserve better treatment, courtesy of customized icing that included an important number3.5.
For LTC workers and residents, 3.5 represents the minimum standard of hands‐on care, in hours, that nursing home residents should receive daily.
Prior to the 2007 provincial election, Premier Dalton McGuinty promised to enshrine minimum care standards. However, the Health Care Workers Coordinating Committee (HCWCC) wasn’t prepared to let the McGuinty Liberals slide on their broken promise of minimum care for some of our most vulnerable citizens. Instead, committee members decided to make June 30 an unofficial Residents Appreciation Day,’ as well as a Day of Baked Action.’ Participating CUPE locals across Ontario celebrated Residents Appreciation Day by bringing baked goods such as cookies and cupcakes into their workplaces, all bearing the 3.5 message. At the same time, every Liberal MPP in the province received a special delivery of cupcakes that also included the 3.5 message in icing on top.
