Cuts coming for Niagara’s long-term care homes
Niagara Region’s long-term care homes will face $555,000 in provincial funding cuts, this year and next.
The cuts are the result of a provincial government decision to scrap the structural compliance fund, which helped cover the cost of facility repairs.
That’s expected to reduce revenue for Niagara’s nine long-term care homes — where about 1,000 seniors reside — by $164,000 this year and $391,000 in 2020.
“It’s ridiculous to cut back on our seniors. We’ve been fighting all along to get more money and more staffing for our long-term care facilities,” said regional Coun. Pat Chiocchio, co-chair of Niagara’s public health and social services committee.
“The seniors need more care than they’re getting right now. … They’re hitting the most vulnerable people. Our seniors are the most vulnerable ones right now.”
The cuts were referenced by New Democratic Party long-term care critic Teresa Armstrong in a letter sent to Ontario’s LongTerm Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton, urging her to reverse the decision.
In addition to the structural compliance fund cuts that take effect Oct. 1, Armstrong, the MPP for London-Fanshawe, was concerned about the cancellation of the province’s high-wage transition fund, which helped maintain staffing levels and a living wage at long-term care homes. But in an e-mail, Nagara Region spokeswoman Katie Desharnais said the
Region was not receiving highwage transition funding and wouldn’t be affected by that cut, although some private homes might be.
St. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens said she fears if the “callous cuts” are implemented, seniors living in long-term care homes will be neglected because “the frontline workers, the time they have to give care to the seniors, is being cut.”
“If we do end up with these callous cuts here in St. Catharines, I worry about the wellbeing of our seniors once they get into these homes,” she said.
In an e-mailed statement, Fullerton said her office is “working directly with industry partners including municipalities on how to address concerns with funding for long-term care.”
She said she met with 29 delegations from across the province at last week’s Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference to discuss the issues.
“Our government recognizes the vital service that long-term care provides Ontarians, which is why we are investing $72 million more this year than last year in long-term care, as well as the already committed $1.75 billion to building 15,000 new long-term care beds and upgrading 15,000 older beds to modern design,” she said.
Niagara West Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff also referenced recent provincial government long-term care investments, adding the government is “responsive and supportive of the needs of our partners to best support the quality of care to residents.”
He cited the decision to defer implementing the cuts until Oct. 1, instead of June, as an example of that support.
“We are always working with our partners in long-term care and municipalities to deliver more and better services in a way that respects tax dollars and ensures we have a sustainable system,” he said.
“Our government recognizes the vital service that long-term care provides Ontarians, which is why we are investing $72 million more this year in the longterm care system. To be clear, that is an additional $72 million over last year’s budget — a sizeable increase.”
Chiocchio, who worked at Niagara long-term care homes throughout his career, said staff at the Region’s facilities have been doing the best they can, but workers are facing increasing demands on their time.
“We’re going to have to look at this,” he said. “Where’s that money going to have to come from now?”
Stevens agreed, saying nurses and hospitality service workers are already “being run off their feet.”
“I just can’t believe it, to be honest with you. I’m in total shock,” Chiocchio said.
“I thought maybe the province would care more about our seniors, but obviously cutting back on them is not the right thing to do.”