TORONTO - On the heels of an increase earlier this month, the Ontario government plans to further boost the daily food allowance for nursing home residents to $7 a person, The Canadian Press has learned.
But an opposition critic derided the raise as a political manoeuvre designed to "buy votes'' before October's provincial election.
Senior government sources confirmed the move Sunday afternoon, which as of Sept. 1 will bring the daily food allowance for elderly residents of long-term care facilities up from $5.57 per person per day.
The Ontario government raised the daily allowance to $5.57 per person on Canada Day. When the Liberals took office in October 2003, the allowance was $5.24 per day, and it has increased marginally until the Canada Day raise.
"We're making this change because we know there's more to do to support our seniors. We've made progress but we know our parents and grandparents deserve the best care when they can no longer live at home,'' said the source, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Comparisons with other provinces are difficult because, unlike Ontario, most do not break out the cost of meal ingredients.
The Liberals say they've boosted funding for long-term care by $800 million since they took office, and have hired 6,100 new frontline staff, including 2,300 nurses.
The Canada Day raise came under fire earlier this month from critics who said it wasn't enough.
In an interview Sunday, Progressive Conservative health critic Elizabeth Witmer called the planned raise "a desperate attempt on the part of the McGuinty government to buy votes just before an election.''
Witmer said a spate of Liberal missteps last week, most notably Auditor General Jim McCarter's scathing report that found $32 million in government grants had been doled out to multicultural agencies with little or no accountability or transparency, led to the raise of the daily food allowance.
The $7 amount itself is "very, very much needed,'' Witmer said, but added it is long overdue.
"There seems to be no reason for any of the decisions they're making. They've had four years to support seniors and they've broken their promises,'' she said.
Health Minister George Smitherman was cycling from Toronto to Kingston, Ont. for an HIV-AIDS fundraiser Sunday and not immediately available to comment.
But those involved with seniors praised Premier Dalton McGuinty's government for raising the amount again.
"Residents will see a difference in the quality of their food,'' said Karen Sullivan of the Ontario Long-Term Care Association.
Some older residents are frail and need specialized diets and food preparation, she said, and the money "will help as well in terms of being able to provide those dietary requirements.''
There are about 75,000 institutionalized seniors in 628 long-term care facilities across the province.
