September 25th, 2017

New Democrats continue call to address seniors care crisis

During question period today, London-Fanshawe MPP and NDP Long-Term Care and Seniors’ Affairs critic Teresa Armstrong continued to pressure the Wynne government for an expanded long-term care inquiry in order to find and fix the systemic issues that threaten the health and safety of seniors, caregivers and long-term care staff.

“Peggy Clark of London came to Queen’s Park earlier this month to support the NDP’s call for a broad public inquiry into long-term care,” said Armstrong. “Peggy’s mother has endured crisis after crisis. She was treated with the wrong medication for three months. She was moved three times, in just six months and her personal possessions went missing. Peggy knows that frontline nurses and PSWs are doing their best, but there just aren’t enough of them to provide the care that our parents and grandparents deserve.”

 

In August, Ontario launched a public inquiry into the conditions that allowed Elizabeth Wettlaufer to commit multiple long-term care home murders but the Wynne government limited the scope of the inquiry to those offences and matters relating to similar tragedies. New Democrats are calling for an expanded inquiry that includes finding and fixing systemic problems in long-term care, like understaffing and underfunding. This proposal gained traction this month when New Democrats passed a motion calling for an expanded inquiry, despite opposition from the majority of Wynne Liberals present for the vote.

Armstrong spoke to the widespread support for an expanded inquiry and the positive results this would bring to London families.

“For far too long, the Conservatives and the Liberals have swept the problems in long-term care right under the rug and it’s time to change that,” said Armstrong. “Families and caregivers, like Peggy Clark, are calling for a broad public inquiry into long-term care. Leading advocates, like the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, are demanding a broad inquiry into the‘huge problems’ in long-term care.”

“Will the government do the right thing and expand the public inquiry—or will it find another reason to sweep the problems right under the rug?” asked Armstrong.

If the Wynne Liberals fail to support families with an expanded inquiry, New Democrats will expand the scope of the public inquiry to include the systemic problems in long-term care, within 100 days of taking office. Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has committed to expand the inquiry and make tackling the seniors care crisis a priority if she’s elected premier.