Gates demands action from Ford on the home care and long-term care crisis in Niagara

QUEEN’S PARK – NDP MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) was at the Ontario legislature Tuesday to highlight the crisis in home care and long-term care in Niagara. Gates shared stories of Niagara residents who have been denied access to home care, and face a three year wait for a long-term care bed.

“This pandemic has blown the lid off the crisis in our long-term care system. This government should've known about the crisis before that point. So I rise today to tell you about the crisis in homecare and long-term care in Niagara - this way you can never pretend that no one ever told you,” said Gates during question period Tuesday.

“There is a long-time community volunteer who lives in St. David’s. His wife needs care. Her loving husband wants to care for her but he can't because of he needs to recover from his own major surgery. His wife has dementia and he's been her sole caregiver for three years. Because of the lack of funding for the LHIN her funding doesn't cover enough to care for her and she's going to have to leave her home. Why can't people in this province access the care they need to stay in their home?” Gates asked the premier.

Gates told the premier that because of the Ford government’s underfunding of home care, families in Niagara are making the tough decision to move their loved ones into long-term care, only to discover they’ll have to wait three years.

“Unfortunately there are wait lists of up to nearly three years for beds in certain homes in our community. This is unacceptable. Seniors in our community should get care when they need it. This situation is the definition of a crisis.”

“Why does the Premier accept that this family cannot get home care and could have to wait three years to get a bed in long-term care?,” asked Gates.