A Sturgeon Falls long-term care facility is outraged that the Ford government is cutting $230,000 from its funding in 2020.
The Ontario Progressive Conservatives plan to cancel the High Wage Transition Fund, which helps pay for staff wages, and the Structural Compliance Premium Fund, which helps keep long-term care homes up to modern standards. When these funds are scrapped, $34 million is set to be taken away from Ontario long-term care homes annually.
"We need these funds as we will have no choice but to cut front line staff, and this is unacceptable as we are already running at low levels," says Jacques Dupuis, administrator at Au Château Home for the Aged.
Dupuis says the $230,000 cut could have a direct impact on resident care.
The Minister of Long-Term Care, Merrilee Fullerton, tells CTV News in an exclusive statement that the Ford government is changing the two funds streams because she’s heard concerns over funding issues.
"Our government is investing $72 million more this year in long-term care than last year, as well as the already committed $1.75 billion to building 15,000 new long-term care beds," says Fullerton.
The minister goes on to add the changes will benefit long-term care operators.
"This will allow for more sufficient time for long-term care operators to make the required adjustments and if there are any potential gaps affecting the quality of care for patients, they can be addressed," says Fullerton.
Meanwhile, Dupuis is not impressed.
"The minister needs to revisit these cuts, reverse her decision, and address staffing in long-term care by properly funding our sector, which has been overlooked for far too long," said Dupuis.
Local NDP MPP John Vanthof is weighing in on the issue.
"Residents at Au Château and across Ontario deserve better than this. They raised our families, they built our province, and they cared for us," says Vanthof in a statement.
The NDP say the PCs plan on raising resident’s co-payment fees by 2.3%, which is one of the highest price hikes in the last decade.
