Today, Queen's Park agreed it was time for Ontario to guarantee funding for seniors in long-term care never dips below inflation. The members voted to pass Second Reading of Bill 110, introduced by PC Long-Term Care and Seniors Critic and MPP Bill Walker, to call for the funding of essentials like food and utilities in care homes to be tied, at a minimum, to the Consumer Price Index each and every year.
"The status quo is unacceptable," Walker said during today's debate. "So this is a small but important win for the 100,000 seniors in long-term care, their families, caregivers, home operators and all Ontarians who want better care for our most vulnerable senior citizens. Writing the CPI guarantee into legislation has never been more pressing than today when nursing homes are facing rising food and hydro costs, and when Ontario seniors are funded about 15 per cent below the national average," he said. "Anything less than inflationary growth is setting up our seniors in long-term care for disaster."
Walker said he looks forward to carrying his bill through the next step at committee and getting it to Third and final reading so it can pass it into law in Ontario.
"This is about standing up for seniors in long-term care so they can enjoy healthier and more nutritious food, better quality of life, and so there's money left to support better care in nursing homes through more personal support workers or new mattresses to reduce bedsores – whatever the need may be."