Accountability and commitment from government lacking
in new Act, says Peterborough
administrator
Monday, November 20, 2006 -- Craig Anderson
An administrator at a Peterborough-based long term care home says that while much of the proposed long term care act reflects sound, resident-focused policies, there needs to be a stronger financial commitment from the Ontario government to support homes in meeting the standards the Act contains.

The proposed licensing changes - in which older C and D class facilities can have their licenses revoked and homes shut, with no recourse for the operators, after ten years - should be matched with capital funding so these homes can upgrade and offer the same physical environment as the newer "A class" homes.

"We're asking for renewal money," says Kelly Burns,
administrator of Riverview Manor, a home with 64 multiple-bed ward room and 14 private rooms. Burns explains that Riverview would benefit greatly from expanded hallways and additional private rooms. "Our residents pay the same money as those who live in
the new builds," she says.

The proposed Act, announced Oct. 2nd, contains many regulations that Burns considers positive (although not new), like the anti-restraint policy.

"A lot of it is good in the Act, this is about taking
regulations into legislation," says Burns.

The problem, however, is one of mutual accountability.
From her perspective as the administrator of a home
where the ratio of nurses to residents is 12 to one,
and with the ever increasing amount of paperwork new
Ministry regulations would require, Burns feels that
the care time will diminish further.

"There are more rules but not more staff," she says.
Burns

Burns raised these concerns to Peterborough MPP Jeff
Leal, at a public forum held November 10th at Riverview Manor. Joining Burns were members of four other Peterborough area homes (Extendicare Peterborough, Extendicare Lakefield, Pleasant Meadow Manor and Springdale) as well as representatives of the Community Care Access Centre.

Sharon Courts, a resident council member at the home,
talked about the isolation she felt when she was moved out of her home town into a long term care residence in an unfamiliar community. Opponents of the proposed Act feel that licensing restrictions will result in
residents being moved abruptly into alienating living
arrangements.

The Act would have been more accurate and visionary
had the government conducted more through negotiations with residents and staff, says Burns.

"This is their answer to long term care," she says.
"But they forgot to ask residents and staff."

Improvements must be made in almost all facets of long
term care provision, including increase staff, increased care time, counseling, physiotherapy, occupation therapy, and activation.

Recalling the 2005 OLTCA campaign to increase care time by twenty minutes a day per resident, Burns again
invites the government to see long term care from within.

"It would be nice if somebody from the government came for a week to stay in long term care," she says.

"I'd like to challenge them," she says.