Fixing long-term care

COVID-19 has exposed the alarming lack of public accountability of many nursing homes. Ironically though, and despite Premier Ford’s promise to “fix” long-term care, the provincial government is now pressing ahead with legislation on home care that will, by design, reduce the already weak regulation and oversight of the sector (Bill 175, Connecting People to Home and Community Care).

Advocates and those with front-line knowledge of home care have voiced multiple concerns about the bill, particularly its inattention to public accountability and oversight — always crucially important, but especially so in a widely dispersed care sector made up of both public and private providers. If passed, the vaguely worded bill would move determination of policy details and all future changes to the domain of regulations. Unlike laws, regulations can be altered in cabinet, without all-party discussion or any public consultation.

To deliberately curtail public scrutiny of home care at this of all times seems unfathomably ill-considered. With the shameful lessons of COVID learned, Bill 175 should be withdrawn. Needed policy and organizational changes in home care would be better integrated into the provincial government’s declared plans to strengthen resources and accountability in the longterm care continuum as a whole. If, as is predicted, we will see wait lists for nursing homes increase as fourbed wards are closed and improved care standards set, the need for home care will increase. We should expect it to be transparent and in the service of the public interest.

Jane Aronson, Hamilton