“It’s not a commitment,” says Karen Sullivan, “we must be cognizant of that.”

The motion isn’t insignificant, however. The OLTCA has campaigned vigorously for more than a month for changes to the proposed LTC Homes Act, which has caused controversy for operators who own older B and C class homes. The Act gives new powers to the government to close older homes after a ten-year period.

The OLTCA, who represent 428 homes in the province, argue that without a financial commitment from the government to help improve the physical plants of these old homes, the Act could jeopardize the living arrangements of some 35,000 residents.

The motion, set forth by Elizabeth Witmer, MPP for Kitchener-Waterloo, asks that “the Government of Ontario should commit to a plan of action to invest in an effective capital renewal program for Ontario’s 35,000 older LTC beds (structurally classified as B and C beds) so that they meet the 1998 design standards and so that all residents can have a home to live in with the comfort and dignity they deserve.”

Providers aren’t asking for the status quo, stresses Sullivan, but rather for support to meet the proposed legislation’s objectives.

“We don’t want to tie licenses to our structures – but to our performance[…]We too want to get rid of the four-bed wards,” she says, “but without the threat of closure hanging over us.”

Operators would ideally be given the assistance to upgrade their physical plants, and if they fail to do so, she says, only then should the province should have the right to close the residence.

Sullivan says that the motion came as a “surprise” as there had been little discussion about it in the weeks previous. The OLTCA campaign, which featured individual residences hosting local MPPs in an effort to show the challenges older homes face, raised considerable awareness to the ramifications of the Act, she says.

The information campaign around the proposed legislation was also designed to give residents, staff and family members a voice, she says.

“It was powerful,” she says.

The proposed legislation now goes to public hearings, and will also be scrutinized through governmental committees. The OLTCA hopes to figure prominently in both, she adds.