The largest grouping of long-term care operators in Ontario is calling for a dramatic increase in spending on nursing homes.
The province should create 10,000 new long-term care beds in the next five years and boost its subsidy for older nursing homes to rebuild, says the Ontario Long-Term Care Association (OLTCA) in its pre-budget submission to the government, released Wednesday.
The document, called "More Care. Better Care" indicates that 32,000 people are on the waiting list for spots in long-term care homes in Ontario, a number that is growing by 15 per cent annually.
"I'm optimistic that we're going to see some movement," said Candace Chartier, chief executive of the OLTCA, during a speech to reveal the budget proposal. "Hopefully we'll see more beds, more staff, more investment into the care that we need to look after our seniors."
Hazel McCallion, 96, the former mayor of Mississauga, was at the launch and endorsed the association's push.
"The province has got to start making some decisions on long-term care," said McCallion. "The need for long-term care is building every day in the province and if the beds are not provided, it's going to become a crisis situation."
The association is calling for a 24 per cent increase in the provincial subsidy to older nursing homes that need to redevelop to meet new Ministry of Health standards for space and facilities.
More than 300 such homes across Ontario are slated to be rebuilt by 2025 but so far, says the report, "progress is less than slow." The association says the size of the subsidy is "one of the biggest issues keeping long-term care operators from moving ahead with redevelopment."
The current subsidy works out to $19.4 million for an average 128-bed nursing home, to be paid out over a 25-year period.
CBC News
reported Tuesday that the operators of eight long-term-care homes in Toronto with nearly 1,300 residents have told the province they intend to shut down and move their operations elsewhere because the subsidy is not enough given the cost of rebuilding in the city.
Chartier tried to downplay the risk of the homes leaving.
"We know the cost of land and availability of land and you name it are issues, but we think we can come up with some solutions," she said. "What about the vacant school land? What about lease-to-own?"
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Nursing home group wants more beds, bigger construction subsidy - Toronto - CBC News