le Dimanche 26 mars 2023
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EOWC releases long-term care review report

Publicly owned-and-operated long-term care facilities (LTCs) like the Prescott-Russell Residence have had to deal with a number of care problems created by the pandemic. The Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus presented the provincial government with its own report, analyzing the problems for LTCs that its member municipalities operate, and offering five recommendations to help deal with those problems. — file photo
Publicly owned-and-operated long-term care facilities (LTCs) like the Prescott-Russell Residence have had to deal with a number of care problems created by the pandemic. The Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus presented the provincial government with its own report, analyzing the problems for LTCs that its member municipalities operate, and offering five recommendations to help deal with those problems.
file photo
Eastern Ontario has five suggestions to the provincial government for long-term improvement of Ontario’s senior care facilities.

The Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus (EOWC) released its two-part review of municipally owned and operated long-term care facilities within the region. The report includes five recommendations to the provincial government for dealing with some of the issues and problems for long-term care facilities (LTCs) that have been in the spotlight during the pandemic.

“Long-term care is a key priority for the EOWC, and EOWC Members are vital partners in the delivery of long-term care,” stated EOWC Chair Debbie Robinson. “When I think of long-term care and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our residents and families, we must ensure that systemic issues that have been identified across the sector are addressed. The EOWC has demonstrated that we are a willing partner and are able to provide on-the-ground leadership to implement changes.”

There are 15 LTCs in Eastern Ontario that are owned and operated by municipalities that are EOWC members. These LTCs have a combined total of 2,386 licensed beds for residents living at those facilities because they are seniors or are people in need of long-term specialized care.

Five Recommendations

« The COVID-19 pandemic placed a spotlight on a number of pre-existing challenges that have been pervasive in Ontario’s long-term care sector for many years, » stated the EOWC report brief. “The EOWC is committed to working closely with the province and other key stakeholders in order to create a world-class long-term care system.”

The EOWC’s five recommendations for improving LTCs include increased direct care funding for the facilities to meet the provincial care model goal; changing to a per-bed funding formula “to increase clarity, efficiency, and transparency” of the funding process; increase provincial capital funding and make it more predictable for municipal budget planning for LTCs, and provide ongoing capital maintenance aid; promote and support resource sharing between LTCs; and improve the long-term care processes to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

EOWC officials presented the report to Merrilee Fullerton, long-term care minister, for discussion during the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) virtual conference, January 25 and 26. The report is available on the EOWC website at http://www.eowc.org/en/economic-development-sustainability/economic-briefing-notes.aspx.