Three Ontario political parties pledge to end for-profit long-term care
The COVID-19 pandemic cast a spotlight on long-term care and showed that private corporations should not be in the business of elder care, say three of Ontario's four major political parties, who pledge to remove for-profit care from the system.
Ontario has a quickly aging population and shoring up the long-term care system is a stated priority for all parties, but the Progressive Conservatives, who are seeking re-election, have rejected calls to phase out for-profit operators.
They are instead focusing on increasing capacity, saying they are on track to exceed their 2018 promise to build 30,000 net new beds by 2028. There are 31,705 in the pipeline, according to their recent budget that is serving as the Tory platform, and the majority are set to become available between next year and 2026.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford did not take questions from the media Thursday.
His spokeswoman, Ivana Yelich, said Ford and the Progressive Conservatives are working with partners “to get shovels in the ground” and make good on their commitment to build new beds “so our seniors get the quality of care they deserve.”
Government figures show that the number of seniors in the province is expected to nearly double, from about 2.6 million in 2020 to almost 4.5 million by 2046. The 75 and over population is projected to more than double, from 1.1 million in 2020 to almost 2.7 million by 2046.
The other parties are also pledging to build new long-term care beds - 55,000 by 2033 promised by the Greens, 50,000 beds by 2030 promised by the NDP, and 30,000 new beds by 2028 promised by the Liberals.
But they say those spaces should be managed by the not-for-profit and municipal sectors.
“Collectively as Ontarians, we need to learn the lessons of what we saw take place during COVID, particularly for our seniors,” Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said Thursday in Richmond Hill, Ont.
“(Ford) legitimately seems to believe that putting shareholders and dividends ahead of care and ahead of our seniors is the best way to solve this problem.”
More than 4,500 long-term care residents have died due to COVID-19. For-profit homes had nearly twice as many residents infected with the virus and 78 per cent more deaths compared with non-profit homes, according to research last year from scientists advising the government on the pandemic.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said long-term care was in crisis long before the pandemic, laying blame at the feet of both Liberal and Progressive Conservative governments.
“We tried to get them for many years to invest in long-term care and to really turn around the horrific circumstances that people were living in, in long-term care homes, particularly the ones that were operated by private companies, but long-term care really did take the brunt,” Horwath said in Brampton, Ont.
“More privatization in our health-care system is the wrong way to go. People should not be, corporations should not be, shareholders should not be reaping profits on the backs of our loved ones.”
The Canadian Armed Forces released a report early in the pandemic after members were called in to assist at five hard-hit homes. It detailed “horrific” allegations of insect infestations, aggressive resident feeding that caused choking, bleeding infections, and residents crying for help for hours.
Four of the five homes were privately run, but Ford said at the time that not all for-profit operators should be painted with the same brush.
The NDP say they would stop issuing new for-profit licences, stop renewing for-profit contracts and transfer delivery of those services to community health organizations and not-for-profit operators.
New Democrats say they would reallocate some of the Progressive Conservatives' planned infrastructure spend of $158.8 billion over 10 years to achieve that. They would put $750 million a year over eight years to provide direct financial support to municipalities, not-for-profits and other community organizations to help them take over the operation and ownership of for-profit homes.
The Liberals have laid out in their costing that they would budget $600 million over the next four years to finance the transfer of existing homes to not-for-profit entities and municipalities. They would aim to end for-profit care by 2028.
Del Duca said the Liberals would provide loan guarantees or have the province actually purchase the homes and own them as assets for a time before they are transitioned to the not-for-profit sector.
Ford's spokeswoman said the previous Liberal government built fewer than 700 long-term care beds in seven years.
“Now they want to spend billions more on a buy-out that won't build a single new bed or hire a single new health care worker,” Yelich wrote in a statement.
The Greens would increase base funding for long-term care by 10 per cent to begin the shift to non-profit elder care.
Lisa Levin, CEO of AdvantAge Ontario, which represents municipal and non-profit homes, said the association has encouraged all parties to recognize voters' preference for not-for-profit delivery of long-term care.
“The current election campaign is a once-in-a-generation chance to build a system of seniors' care that improves the lives of tens of thousands of Ontarians,” she wrote in a statement.
- With files from Holly McKenzie-Sutter and Noushin Ziafati
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.