Ontario Health Coalition calls for end to subsidizing private long-term care homes
In a passionate, virtual news conference Friday morning over Zoom, volunteers with the Ontario Health Coalition took a stand against for-profit long-term care.
The group said the Ford government plans to award public dollars to private operators for long-term care beds.
"Many of the for-profit beds are being awarded to providers that had some of the most egregious records during the COVID-19 pandemic and they are nonetheless being awarded new licenses and will continue to make profits if they are successful getting these licenses at the expense of seniors and other vulnerable people," said the coalition's Al Dupuis.
Dupuis said the province's plans defy logic. The Ontario Health Coalition has compiled a report that outlines which providers are getting which beds from the provincial government.
The Coalition also found non-profit homes and municipally owned homes are getting the minority of new beds being allocated by the province.
"The report … wasn't new to me because I have been part of the healthcare scene in Sudbury for more than 50 years," said the coalition's Dot Klein.
"We have to start putting our efforts into supporting our municipally owned long-term care facilities and not-for-profits and stop thinking that we can get off easy by calling in a company that has shown us (poor numbers) throughout the pandemic."
Jason Maclennan said he lost his grandmother from an infection in a for-profit long-term care home.
"I certainly don't want to go to long-term care -- I'd rather be pushed in front of a bus than with some of the experiences that I've had," he said.
"Where is all the media on this? Why are they not asking the provincial government the tough questions? We're doing the talking, just fix the issue."
CTV Northern Ontario, the Sudbury Star as well as several outlets from North Bay were all on the Zoom news conference.
Klein said the coalition has reached out to the province to present them its findings and outline its concerns, but for the most part it's fallen on deaf ears.
CTV News reached out to the Ministry of Long Term Care to give it an opportunity to respond but hadn't received a response as of Friday evening.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.