Ontario’s 600 long-term care homes are asking for your help to make better seniors’ care a priority for the 2017 Ontario budget.
According to Meadow Park administrator Anne Marie Rumble, the plan is about improving the foundation of the sector and ensuring long-term care homes have the resources needed to support all residents with the best possible care.
“Today’s seniors have more complex medical needs that must be supported by the health system they have grown to depend on. Over the next 10 years, it is expected that the number of seniors will grow, and by extension, so will the demands for long-term care. The sector is doing its part, but cannot meet this challenge head on if we aren’t better supported,” Rumble said in a release.
Almost half of all Ontario’s long-term care homes were built to design standards dating back to 1973 and need significant renovations or to be rebuilt for the comfort, security and health of residents.
“Residents deserve the best care and homes we are able to provide – including improved buildings with more space,” she added.
Rumble said Meadow Park is doing its part by gathering signatures on a petition (which is also available at www.BetterSeniorsCare.ca) as well as hosting a Vendor Fair and Career Fair on March 15 from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. There will be information about services in long-term care, refreshments, entertainment and a chance to win prizes. Meadow Park is also inviting individuals interested in a nursing career to stop in with their resume.
In 2016, Meadow Park Chatham helped to submit 1,621 letters to MPP Rick Nichols and help make seniors’ care a priority at Queen’s Park – they hope to top that number this year with your help.
Lydia Swant, co-ordinator of volunteer services at Meadow Park, said they have been promoting the Better Seniors’ Care campaign for quite a few years. Meadow Park was opened in 1979; the issue of upgrading older facilities, she said, is an important one to them.
“Particular to our home, it is an aging home and it’s important to ensure older homes are rebuilt in a timely fashion and services are updated,” Swant said. “We do our best to keep our home friendly with a good aesthetic. At the end of the day, our goal is to provide a place where people can feel as close to home as possible.”
She added there is a need as well for adequate funding for staff, especially to provide for the specific needs of people who come to long-term care homes with issues such as dementia, brain injuries or Down’s Syndrome.
“We need to ensure their needs are met as well,” Swant said, adding long-term care homes aren’t just for the elderly any more. “Long-term care homes are seeing quite a range of folks out there and our job is to provide care to the people who need it.”
There are solutions, and Swant encourages people to learn more at www.BetterSeniorsCare.ca and sign the petition asking the government to step up its funding for long term care.
