‘Ontario is at a critical juncture. …The Ford government is on the cusp of privatizing an entire new generation of long-term care beds unless public outrage stops them.’
A New Report from the Ontario Health Coalition, a citizens group advocating for quality health care across the province
Posted December 4th, 2021 on Niagara At Large
Toronto— The Ford government has been awarding tens of thousands of long-term care beds to for-profit operators and 30-year licenses paid by Ontario taxpayers. The Ontario Health Coalition warned the Ford government is on the cusp of privatizing an entire new generation of long-term care beds unless public outrage stops them.
The Ontario Health Coalition was joined by families members of loved ones in for-profit long-term care in a press conference late this November to release a new report, Public Money Private Profit: The Ford Government & the Privatization of the Next Generation of Ontario’s Long-Term Care.
They are launching a province-wide virtual tour to issue a call to action.
The public is paying for the homes regardless of who owns them, the Coalition explained, who are calling for them to be built as public, non-profit entities operated in the public interest.
Among the key findings:
- The Ford government is midway through allocating 30,436 beds and 30-year licenses
- The majority of these (16,304) are in process of being allocated to for-profit companies. Of those, 12,084 or three quarters, have gone to 10 large chain companies with terrible records in the pandemic and prior
- The Ford government is giving a minority of the beds to non-profits (10,990) and publicly owned municipal homes (2,918)
Ontario Health Coalition Director Natalie Mehra
“Ontario is at a critical juncture. We have about 31,000 old, outdated long-term care beds with licenses ending in 2025. They have to be entirely rebuilt,” said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition.
“In addition, Ontario is building 15,000 new beds over 5 years for a total of 46,000 beds. It’s huge, and in the next year we will either win them as public and non-profit beds or we will lose them to the for-profits for the next generation. This should have been a new day for Ontario’s long-term care homes given the egregious negligence, incompetence and suffering we saw through COVID-19.”
Many of the projects have not yet received final approval and can still be stopped.
“Tendercare (a for-profit LTC facility in the Toronto area) really failed at their job and they failed their residents and the families miserably. They failed to provide the necessities for life and the craziest thing is that they are being rewarded for it,” said Doris Wai, whose grandmother died at Tendercare, which is in process for a new 30-year license and expansion.
“We desperately tried to get a hold of my grandmother to see if she was okay. A few days later we got a call from the hospital doctor who took over the operation of the home, who told us she was in critical condition,” said Reed Zhao, whose grandmother died at Tendercare as well. “The only thing Tendercare did on time was give dividends to its shareholders.”
“They told us there are no issues, we have everything under control. 2 days later, 12 ambulances showed up at Woodbridge Vista,” said Nick Puopolo, whose mother is in Sienna Woodbridge Vista. 10 out of the 12 residents taken to the hospital died.
To watch a recording of the Press Conference on this report, click on – <https://www.facebook.com/ontariohealth/videos/595842328314893/>.*
If you can, please CLICK HERE <http://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/index.php/donate-now/> to donate or become a member.
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Ontario Health Coalition
About the Ontario Health Coalition – The Ontario Health Coalition is comprised of a Board of Directors, committees of the Board as approved in the Coalition’s annual Action Plan, Local Coalitions, member organizations and individual members. Currently the Ontario Health Coalition represents more than 400 member organizations and a network of Local Health Coalitions and individual members and family councils; retirees; poverty and equality-seeking groups; women’s organizations, and others.
For more information on the Ontario Health Coalition and its advocacy work, click on – www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca
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The Government is also funding new municipal LTC facilities as well. A significant enlargement to a municipally owned facility in Northumberland County is underway and will provide nearly 500 spaces for the elderly. Funding provided to private care facilities can generate more spaces as private sector will co-fund projects. This generates more immediate results in some cases as wards will be rapidly re-figured to provide safer accommodations. The Province’s goal is to establish safer facilities for seniors.
It isn’t responsible reporting to continually bash the current government. The NDP can make all kinds of promises as they will never form government in this Province and if they did this jurisdiction would become as fiscally deficient as the Feds. Good governance is seeking balance in all things and using public money wisely and responsibly. Bankrupting government hurts everyone, including people who work hard any pay their taxes. It is this group that supports government.
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