Campaigns & Issues

Dignity is a Minimum Standard

Residents in Ontario long-term care facilities are entitled to quality care delivered with respect and dignity. Yet thousands of CAW members who work in health care know from personal experience that Ontario has not been meeting this standard.

The previous Tory government deliberately under-funded this sector and increased reliance on for-profit operators while resident health needs grew in complexity and scope. Ontario homes now lag 54 minutes behind the national average of care time per resident. In 1986 we were only 6 minutes behind.

Ontario continues to rank at the bottom of Canadian provinces in providing seniors with nursing services, personal care or rehabilitation. The result continues to be a serious and disturbing decline in quality of care that puts both residents and care-giving staff at risk. This must now be addressed as a critical priority in your government's second term.

The decline in quality care for patients runs parallel to a decline in working conditions for care providers. Violence and abuse are become endemic. A recent study found 89% of workers in these facilities reported some form of physical violence from residents or their families; with 43% reporting such violence occurred daily.

Study after study show a direct causal link between quality care and staffing levels in nursing homes. Since 1993, the number of residents requiring the greatest level of nursing and personal care has grown an astounding 74%. But the previous government abolished the minimum staffing standard in 1995. This has resulted in falling staffing levels and soaring absences because of illness and injuries as fewer nursing staff cared for more residents with greater or multiple health needs.

Often, workers are left to provide care to as many as twice the number of residents as was common only a decade ago.

Send Minister Caplan a letter below. Tell him that dignity must be a minimum standard for long-term care residents and workers in Ontario.

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The Message:

Dear Minister:

Residents in Ontario long-term care facilities are entitled to quality care delivered with respect and dignity. Yet thousands of CAW members who work in health care know from personal experience that Ontario has not been meeting this standard.

The previous Tory government deliberately under-funded this sector and increased reliance on for-profit operators while resident health needs grew in complexity and scope. Ontario homes now lag 54 minutes behind the national average of care time per resident. In 1986 we were only 6 minutes behind.

Ontario continues to rank at the bottom of Canadian provinces in providing seniors with nursing services, personal care or rehabilitation. The result continues to be a serious and disturbing decline in quality of care that puts both residents and care-giving staff at risk. This must now be addressed as a critical priority in your government's second term.

The decline in quality care for patients runs parallel to a decline in working conditions for care providers. Violence and abuse are become endemic. A recent study found 89% of workers in these facilities reported some form of physical violence from residents or their families; with 43% reporting such violence occurred daily.

Study after study show a direct causal link between quality care and staffing levels in nursing homes. Since 1993, the number of residents requiring the greatest level of nursing and personal care has grown an astounding 74%. But the previous government abolished the minimum staffing standard in 1995. This has resulted in falling staffing levels and soaring absences because of illness and injuries as fewer nursing staff cared for more residents with greater or multiple health needs.

Often, workers are left to provide care to as many as twice the number of residents as was common only a decade ago.

I CALL ON YOUR GOVERNMENT TO IMMEDIATELY:

- Enact a minimum staffing standard in Ontario long-term facilities. Each long term care facility must be both required by regulation, and equitably funded to provide a minimum amount of nursing and personal care for each resident at an average of 3.5 hours per day. Facilities with greater resident nursing and personal care needs must be funded proportionately more than this minimum standard of care.

- No increase in resident fees beyond the cost of living adjustments to income maintenance programs for seniors should be permitted. Any financial barriers or restrictions caused by an inability to pay must be eliminated for seniors entering or residing in long-term care facilities, including preferred accommodation charges that restrict admission to, or selection of a facility.

Respectfully,

This message will be emailed to:

Howard Hampton - Leader of the NDP
David Caplan - Minister of Health and Long Term Care
Dalton McGuinty - Premier of Ontario
John Tory - Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party