In a presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs on Dec. 7th, Sullivan drew attention to overworked long term care staff and the resulting inadequate amount of care time available per each resident.

“Last Spring, Committee members will recall receiving and presenting petitions from Family and Residents’ Councils in their constituencies. These petitions requested funding for an additional 20 minutes of resident care. Residents and their families signed these because, although they see staff doing their best, they also see that they are ‘run off their feet’ just to do the minimum that residents require.”

The OLTCA, she says, see the answer as a fairly simple one – bring Ontario’s long term care time standards (currently at roughly 2.5 hours of care per resident per day) up to those of other provinces like Saskatchewan and Manitoba, who both provide more than 3 hours a day of care.

The province’s recent funding announcements for wage stabilization, lifts, convalescent care beds, and assessment tools, while welcome, haven’t addressed the issue of the ability of individual homes to hire new staff to provide appropriate care time.

Sullivan is asking the province to increase care time by thirty minutes a day, to an average of 3 hours of care a day per resident.

“This 30 minute gap between care required and care funded is the challenge that residents, families and the sector believes must be a government funding priority in this budget.”

The OLTCA, she continued, wants the government to commit $390 million in the 2007 budget to ensure an additional 20 minutes of care, followed by $214 million in the 2008 budget for an additional 10 minutes.

Sullivan also asked the committee to consider increasing daily raw food allowance funds, from the current $5.46 per resident per day to $7. Sullivan also drew attention to the need for an increase in funds to help homes meet rising utility costs and improve laundry and environmental services.

“We believe that the 2007-2008 budget represents a pivotal decision-making point for determining whether residents will get the care they need and deserve. We know that you have also heard the same message from Residents’ and Family Councils and others in your ridings,” she said.

“Maintenance level funding increases will not address the unacceptable care and service levels. A substantial funding increase that adds more time for more care, 20 minutes more this year and 10 minutes more next year, is required.”