Petition to: Premier Doug Ford and the Hon. Merrilee Fullerton - Minister of Long-Term Care
Doug Ford: Don’t Neglect Ontario’s Elderly
Doug Ford: Don’t Neglect Ontario’s Elderly
Please sign our petition and ask the Ontario government to take all necessary measures to protect the lives and well-being of the elderly in Ontario by promoting alternatives to long-term care facilities.
On May 26th, the Ontario Provincial government released a disturbing report from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) about the poor conditions of various long-term care homes in Ontario. The report outlined how some long-term care homes were found to have insect infestations, contaminated medical equipment, and residents being treated aggressively and not being bathed in weeks, as well as a host of many other issues.
This problem goes beyond the homes listed in the CAFs report. At the beginning of May, the National Institute on Ageing found that 82% of COVID-19-related deaths in Canada came from those who live and work in long-term care homes.
The poor standards of Ontario’s long-term care homes reflect a problem in how our politicians treat the elderly in our society. A country that expands euthanasia laws while insitutionalizing the elderly in often dangerous and abusive homes does not respect the dignity of every human life.
COVID-19 has intensified a problem in our health system, which is that institutionalizing the elderly very often poses threats to their physical and mental well-being. Alternatives to these long-term care homes, such as community-living care and home care, need to be feasible for those who desire it. We must demand for immediate actions to be taken to ensure that the lives and well-being of the elderly are protected.
We know that a system that prioritizes community-living care and home care is not only feasible, but by almost all metrics better. We can see that in Denmark, which hasn’t invested in a new congregate facility since 1987 because of their focus on home- and community-based care, only 33% of COVID-19 deaths can be traced to nursing homes.
The CAF report has shown that it is imperative that the Ontario government needs to start prioritizing home care and community-living care. If our long-term care system is disastrously vulnerable during COVID-19, then it is also vulnerable during flu seasons and other viral outbreaks. If abuse is rampant during this pandemic, then it is rampant after the pandemic as well.
Join this campaign with your signature to let the Ontario government know that we must change how we care for the elderly. Let them know that we need to take note from countries that have done it right and that we need to provide more funding to safer forms of care for the elderly, such as community-living care and home-care.
More information:
Canadian Armed Forces report on long-term care facilities in Ontario: https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6928404/OP-LASER-JTFC-Observations-in-LTCF-in-On.pdf
Long-Term Care Facilities responsible for 82% of Canada’s COVID-19 deaths: https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2020/05/07/82-of-canadas-covid-19-deaths-have-been-in-long-term-care.html
33% of Denmark’s COVID-19 death’s are from care homes: https://ltccovid.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Mortality-associated-with-COVID-3-May-final-5.pdf
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Petition to: Premier Doug Ford and the Hon. Merrilee Fullerton - Minister of Long-Term Care
I am one of many that have been greatly disturbed by the Canadian Armed Forces report on long-term care facilities. For too long Ontario's political leaders have refused to take the necessary actions to allow our seniors to live with the safety and comfort they are entitled to.
I am also disappointed by the National Institute for Ageing's findings that 82% of COVID-19-related deaths came from long-term care facilities. It is clear that these facilities can often pose threats to the lives and well-being of the elderly.
Any positive changes that can be made to Ontario's long-term care facilities are of course welcomed. But we also urgently need feasible alternatives to providing care to our senior citizens other than institutionalizing them.This is why I am urging you to promote funding for community-living care and home care.
Promoting funding for community-living care and home care is a realistic solution to protecting our seniors. In Denmark, we can see that they haven't invested in a new congregate facility since 1987 because of their focus on home- and community-based care. Partially due to this, only 33% of COVID-19 deaths can be traced to nursing homes in Denmark.
If Ontario moves towards a model which allows the elderly to choose the type of care they receive, rather than merely relying on long-term care facilities to house the elderly, then we can avoid many of the problems which the Canadian Armed Forces reported on. We will also prevent deaths in future viral outbreaks.
I urge you to consider these suggestions. You have the power to make Ontario a place where one can grow old without fear of danger to their life and wellbeing.
Petition to: Premier Doug Ford and the Hon. Merrilee Fullerton - Minister of Long-Term Care
I am one of many that have been greatly disturbed by the Canadian Armed Forces report on long-term care facilities. For too long Ontario's political leaders have refused to take the necessary actions to allow our seniors to live with the safety and comfort they are entitled to.
I am also disappointed by the National Institute for Ageing's findings that 82% of COVID-19-related deaths came from long-term care facilities. It is clear that these facilities can often pose threats to the lives and well-being of the elderly.
Any positive changes that can be made to Ontario's long-term care facilities are of course welcomed. But we also urgently need feasible alternatives to providing care to our senior citizens other than institutionalizing them.This is why I am urging you to promote funding for community-living care and home care.
Promoting funding for community-living care and home care is a realistic solution to protecting our seniors. In Denmark, we can see that they haven't invested in a new congregate facility since 1987 because of their focus on home- and community-based care. Partially due to this, only 33% of COVID-19 deaths can be traced to nursing homes in Denmark.
If Ontario moves towards a model which allows the elderly to choose the type of care they receive, rather than merely relying on long-term care facilities to house the elderly, then we can avoid many of the problems which the Canadian Armed Forces reported on. We will also prevent deaths in future viral outbreaks.
I urge you to consider these suggestions. You have the power to make Ontario a place where one can grow old without fear of danger to their life and wellbeing.
