‘ No time to cut seniors care’ – Ontario Premier

Kathleen Wynne

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne  told a convention of long- term care and retirement home professionals in Etobicoke  yesterday that her government will “invest in care – not cuts.”

 All told, we’re investing more than $3.3 billion over the next three years to improve care for our seniors,” she said.

Speaking at the “Together We Care” convention, she said:” Our seniors deserve the same dignity and comfort in their golden years that they have given to others along the way — as mothers and fathers and mentors and coworkers.

“This is no time to cut seniors care. We need to do more and these investments will ensure our parents and grandparents get the care they need, when and where they need it.”

She noted that the 2018 Ontario budget makes the deliberate  choice ” to invest in the care that seniors need right now, and will make a meaningful difference in the lives of seniors and their caregivers

” For long-term care homes, this will mean $300 million over three years to increase care hours and support the hiring of more nurses and personal support workers. Ontario is committed to reaching a provincial average of four hours of direct care per day for every resident in long-term care, and this will help us get there,” she pointed out.

Discussing the new Seniors Healthy Home Program, Wynne told the Convention that ” We know seniors want to live in the comfort of their own homes for as long as  possible, and their families want to help

“And we know those maintenance costs add up, in time and money.

” So the new Seniors’ Healthy Home Program will provide up to $750 per year [for eligible households] to help cover the costs of independent living.

“We’re also adding millions more hours of home care for people across the province.”

Activists in the Caribbean community have expressed concerns about adequate care for the ageing population and have welcomed the increased funding for the various programs for seniors.

Since 2013, the Ontario government has expanded its investment in home and community care by about $250 million per year, in addition to ongoing funding of more than $5 billion.

The number of seniors in Ontario is expected to grow from 2.4 million today to 4.5 million by 2040.