Teresa Armstrong, Official Opposition critic for Home Care and Long Term Care, is renewing the Ontario NDP’s call to establish a standard of hands-on care in long-term care facilities of at least four hours per day, on average.
Monday in question period, Armstrong urged the Ford Conservatives to pass without delay her private member’s bill, the Time to Care Act, which would do just that. Doug Ford’s Health Minister refused to commit.
“No one should have to worry that the needs of their parent or grandparent will be overlooked because long-term care staff is overstretched,” said Armstrong. “Demand for long-term care is only going to grow as Baby Boomers enter their golden years, and we need to make sure adequate support is available for them in long-term care.
“We know front-line workers are already run off their feet. Parents and grandparents need more than just a bed — they need support from caring staff to protect their health, dignity and safety.”
It has been more than a decade since a report by Shirley Sharkey identified the need for an average of at least four hours of hands-on care per day. And it has now been more than six months since Armstrong’s bill passed first reading — yet there has been virtually no progress in getting long-term care residents the hands-on support they need every day.
“Ontarians with parents and grandparents who live in long-term care facilities deserve to have peace of mind that their loved ones are safe and receiving dignified care,” said Armstrong. “Andrea Horwath and the NDP will keep fighting until a four-hour standard of hands-on care is in place.”
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