OHC in the News

Ontario hospitals strive to clear surgery backlog as patients remain in limbo due to COVID-19

(July 23, 2020) By: CBC News, Yahoo News After hospitals across Ontario cancelled or postponed thousands of elective surgeries to free up space amid the COVID-19 pandemic, officials are now facing a new challenge: Tackling a massive backlog of surgical procedures while anxious patients remain in limbo. As CBC News previously reported, an estimated 100,000 […]

More deaths at for-profit nursing homes: Study

(July 23, 2020) By: Colin Perkel, Chatham Daily News TORONTO For-profit long-term care homes in Ontario saw significantly worse outbreaks of COVID-19 and more related deaths than their non-profit or municipally run counterparts, according to a new study released on Wednesday. The paper in the peer-reviewed Canadian Medical Association Journal raises questions about the ownership […]

Long-term care staffing crisis worse than before pandemic, survey says

(July 23, 2020) By: Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen Residents of Ontario long-term care homes are going without baths, missing crucial care and waiting hours for their meals because of worsening staff shortages, a staff survey released by the Ontario Health Coalition suggests. The survey of more than 150 staff members at 75 long-term care homes […]

Staff Shortages Highlight Long-Term Care Staff Survey

(July 23, 2020) By: Randy Thoms, 93.1 The Border A survey of long term care staff is highlighting some heartbreaking stats. The survey was conducted by the Ontario Health Coalition. “Staff haven’t had time to explain COVID-19 to residents who are confused. They don’t have time to visit with them. This really struck an emotional […]

Staffing levels a concern at long-term care facilities

(July 22, 2020) By: Amanda Smith, Quinte News A new survey by the Ontario Health Coalition is shedding some light on staffing issues at long-term care facilities in the province. Surveys were conducted from July 10-17 province wide and completed by those who work in long-term care homes that range in size from 55 beds […]

Global News Peterborough Update 2: July 22, 2020

(July 22, 2020) By: Global News The results of a long-term care survey conducted by the Ontario Health Coalition are set to be released today, Peterborough Public Health holds its final media briefing, and more from the City of Kawartha Lakes on its COVID-19 measures. Here is your CHEX news update with Noor Ibrahim. Link […]

Long-Term Care Survey Reports Staffing Shortages

(July 22, 2020) By: Sheri Leviski-Kotyk, Country 105 Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra A survey of long term care staff highlights heartbreaking stats. That’s according to Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra. “Staff haven’t had time to explain COVID-19 to residents who are confused. They don’t have time to visit with them. […]

Coalition says Ontario LTCs chronically understaffed

(July 22, 2020) By: DurhamRegion.com The Ontario Health Coalition has released a survey of staff at long-term care facilities in Ontario and it found that 93 per cent of respondents said the sites are chronically understaffed. Some respondents said the staffing has been worse since the pandemic began in March. DURHAM — A health coalition […]

Les préposés aux bénéficiaires sont à bout dans les foyers de l’Ontario, selon un sondage

(July 22, 2020) By: Radio-Canada Des personnes âgées dans un centre de soins de longue durée. (PHOTO : RADIO-CANADA) La coalition Santé Ontario tire la sonnette d’alarme et demande au gouvernement Ford d’investir massivement dans les conditions de travail des préposés aux bénéficiaires pour améliorer la qualité de vie des résidents dans les centres de […]

Analysis: Why were COVID-19 outbreaks worse in older Toronto nursing homes?

(July 22, 2020) By: Mike Adler, Toronto.com Hawthorne Place Care Centre is a long-term-care facility near Jane Street and Finch Avenue. – Dan Pearce/Torstar Alessandra Lamanna-La Marca remembers the slow, shuddering elevator to the third floor, its stifling heat in summer, and the urine smells outside her mother’s four-bed room. That Hawthorne Place Care Centre room […]

Coronavirus: Ontario government relaxes visiting rules for long-term care homes

(July 22, 2020) By: Global News Family members in Ontario are now allowed to visit their loved ones inside long-term care homes. The change comes after the Ontario Health Coalition announces results about staffing inside these facilities. As Morganne Campbell reports, there’s concern homes do not have the resources needed to facilitate such visits. Link […]

Ontario Health Coalition survey report reveals grim staffing outlook at long-term care homes

(July 22, 2020) By: Brock Ormond, InQuinte.ca Results released Wednesday from an Ontario Health Coalition survey are revealing a dark picture surrounding staffing and care levels at long-term care facilities. The Coalition stated the survey was conducted over the week of July 10 to 17 in every Ontario region and revealed that 95 percent of […]

LEVY: Study says LTC homes have huge staffing issues

(July 22, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun A newly released Ontario Health Coalition survey has quantified what many families and advocates have been hearing in the past three months: Namely that long-term care homes have even worse staffing issues than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. OHC executive director Natalie Mehra told a Zoom press […]

More staff needed at long-term care homes ahead of potential second wave, provincial health watchdog says

(July 22, 2020) By: Nicole Lampa, CTV News KITCHENER — A provincial health watchdog is calling on the province to increase staffing levels at long-term care homes across Ontario. The Ontario Health Coalition said homes won’t be prepared if a second wave of COVID-19 arrives in the fall. A study by the Ontario Health Coalition […]

Survey findings paint bleak picture of staffing and care levels in long-term care homes

(July 22, 2020) By: All in a Day with Alan Neal, CBC Radio Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra joined the radio program to discuss the findings from the organization’s survey report of long-term care staff. Link to full radio interview here

Eight More Ontarians admitted to hospital with COVID-19 as daily caseload drops below 200

(July 22, 2020) By: Rob Ferguson, WaterlooChronical.ca Eight more Ontarians have been admitted to hospital for COVID-19 as the number of cases fell back below 200 following a one-day surge and an advocacy group warned nursing homes need more staff to cope with a potential second wave in the fall. The Ministry of Health reported […]

Coalition demands action on LTC

(July 22, 2020) By: Colleen Romaniuk, Nipawin Journal Staff across the province continue to describe staffing shortages in long-term care homes as “heartbreaking,” and are warning the Ford government that the province’s facilities are not prepared for a second wave of COVID-19. The Ontario Health Coalition released the results of a survey distributed to more […]

Long-term care staff shortages worse than ever according to survey

(July 22, 2020) By: Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen A file photo from an Ontario long-term care home. Photo by Brian Thompson /Postmedia Residents of Ontario long-term care homes are going without baths, missing crucial care and waiting hours for their meals because of worsening staff shortages, a staff survey released by the Ontario Health Coalition […]

Limited indoor visits can now resume at Ontario long-term care homes

(July 22, 2020) By: The Canadian Press TORONTO — Many of Ontario’s long-term care homes are able to resume indoor visits on Wednesday, months after closing their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Facilities not currently experiencing an outbreak of the novel coronavirus have allowed outdoor visits since last month, but can now permit residents’ […]

Hour 3 of Ottawa Now for Wed. July 22nd, 2020

(July 22, 2020) By: Kristy Cameron, Ottawa Now. Hour 3 of Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron (Natalie Mehra)- talking about the new OHC staffing survey report. According to a new staffing survey, 95 percent of Ontario’s Long-Term Care Staff are reporting staffing shortages. The Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition stops by in […]

Real long-term care reform demands more than finger-pointing and spin

(July 19, 2020) By: Keith Leslie, The Spec Premier Doug Ford promises to improve the conditions in Ontario’s long term care homes that led to the deaths of 1,730 residents and eight staff during the pandemic, but he won’t discuss the role of private corporations. This week, Ford announced a new funding model to get […]

Why Doug Ford’s to blame for health-care mess

(July 15, 2020) By: Bob Hepburn, The Record There’s a well-worn saying in the business world that you can’t cut your way to greatness. It applies equally well to Ontario’s health-care system, which is struggling to cope under the unprecedented strains imposed by the current COVID-19 pandemic. As he launches a major campaign-style road show this week […]

Palliative care has been lacking for decades in long-term care

(July 16, 2020) Dr. Amit Arya is a palliative care physician and a board member of the Ontario Health Coalition By: Amit Arya, Policy Options When the Canadian Armed Forces were called in to help Ontario’s nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were shocked by the care and treatment of our nation’s seniors. Their report shared […]

Peterborough activists fear province’s plan to reform home care

(July 9, 2020) By: Matthew Barker, The Peterborough Examiner Peterborough health advocates are worried the provincial government’s plan to modernize home care will impact those who depend on the service and potentially leave others at risk. Bill 175, called the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, would allow new Ontario health teams being […]

Ford government making life easier for LTC operators

(July 8, 2020) By: Keith Leslie, The Hamilton Spectator COVID-19 devastated long-term-care homes in Ontario, but it also helped LTC operators get rid of some regulations, at least temporarily, that they’ve lobbied for years to have eliminated. Last year, under the guise of “flexibility,” LTC homes asked to use less qualified staff to address a […]

Ford government making life easier for LTC operators

Health Coalition says Bill 175 would increase long-term care privatization

(July 7, 2020) By: Jake Romphf, Chatham Daily News The Ontario Health Coalition is calling out the Ontario government’s handling of long-term care homes by criticizing Bill 175, which the group says would increase privatization. Some of the coalition’s Southwestern Ontario representatives held a Zoom press conference Friday to speak out against the bill, which […]

Local health coalitions call for action on LTC, withdrawal of Bill 175

(July 4, 2020) By: Brian Cross, Windsor Star Defenders of public health care accuse the Doug Ford government of ignoring the crisis in long-term care and rushing through a bill they say is “a pathway to privatization of the entire health-care system.” When Bill 175, Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, was introduced […]

Health Coalition says more privatization is not the answer

(July 4, 2020) By: Maureen Revait, Blackburn News The Ontario Health Coalition is calling on the Ontario government to repeal a bill that could introduce more privatization in the province’s health care system. Tracey Ramsey Co-Chair of Windsor Health Coalition said the government’s focus should be on fixing the current situation in long-term care homes […]

Former Essex MP Calls for Halt on Bills 175 and 161

(July 4, 2020) By: Gord Bacon, AM800 CKLW The Ontario Health Coalition is calling for the Ford government to halt two key pieces of legislation. The Ontario PC’s are being called out by the coalition for trying to sneak Bills 175 and 161 past the legislature during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bill 175 is supposed to […]

Des hôpitaux d’Ottawa veulent ouvrir des centres satellites dans les maisons pour aînés

(July 3, 2020) By: CBC/Radio Canada © /CBC/Jean Delisle La direction de lL’Hôpital Élizabeth-Bruyère demandent la création de 110 nouveaux lits de soins de longue durée. Des hôpitaux d’Ottawa demandent au gouvernement ontarien d’approuver rapidement leurs plans pour rendre disponible des centaines de lits de soins de transition et de longue durée dans des milieux […]

Protesters rally against home care bill ahead of third reading

(July 2, 2020) By: Natalie van Roy, CTV News KITCHENER — A group of protesters rallied on Thursday afternoon against a new provincial home care bill. The demonstrators in Kitchener said Bill 175 could privatize home care delivery in Ontario. The bill has passed two readings and is scheduled for a third in the near […]

We need an ethical compass for fixing long-term care during the COVID-19 crisis

(July 3, 2020) By: David Pfrimmer, The Hamilton Spectator When Canada’s military recently reported the living conditions in some of the country’s long-term-care homes “appeared to be nothing short of horrid and inhumane,” Canadians were stunned and justifiably outraged. But those familiar with the long-term care sector were shocked but not surprised. We have been […]

Rallies fail to generate much interest

(July 3, 2020) By: Harold Carmichael, Sudbury Star (Print Edition) Last week, the Sudbury Health Coalition – concerned about the province passing two bills that would change how long-term care facilities in the province are monitored and can be taken to court – held two protests. One was held on Elm Street in front of […]

Ottawa hospitals pushing for satellite sites in retirement homes

(July 3, 2020) Yahoo News Hospitals in Ottawa are asking the Ontario government to quickly approve plans to create hundreds of new long-term care and transitional beds at local retirement homes in order to free up space for acute-care patients. Both The Ottawa Hospital and the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital have applied to the Ontario government to […]

Ottawa hospitals pushing for satellite sites in retirement homes

(July 3, 2020) By: Julie Ireton, CBC Ottawa Hospitals in Ottawa are asking the Ontario government to quickly approve plans to create hundreds of new long-term care and transitional beds at local retirement homes in order to free up space for acute-care patients. Both The Ottawa Hospital and the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital have applied to the […]

Long-term care protest at Garden City Manor gives provincial government a failing grade

(July 3, 2020) By: Bill Sawchuk, The Standard The Ontario Health Coalition held a protest in St. Catharines Friday and gave Premier Doug Ford’s government a failing mark on long-term care in Ontario. “We want better care and funding for long-term care residents and staff workers,” said Sue Hotte, Niagara Health Coalition chair. “What we […]

Health rally scheduled for Thursday; Local briefs

(July 2, 2020) By: Sudbury Star (Print Edition) Health advocates in Sudbury will join others across the province tomorrow in demanding better care for seniors. “Events will include updates on the Ford government’s failure to respond to the crisis in long-term care (and) their attempt to push through Bill 175, the new law that privatizes […]

A call to action for long-term care

(July 2, 2020) By: Michael Swan, The Catholic Register With almost 80 per cent of COVID-19 deaths in Canada occurring in long-term care facilities, there will need to be a reckoning of just how these homes should operate in the future. Catholics are getting ready to play a role in the post-COVID look at what […]

Advocacy group staging protests against new Provincial Bill

(July 2, 2020) By: Matt Dionne, Inbrampton The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) is staging protests across the province in relation to a new bill proposed by the Ford government. Bill 175 would privatize and remove oversight for home and community care, while Bill 161 would make it harder to launch class-action lawsuits against private companies, including […]

Advocacy group staging protests against new provincial long-term care bill

(July 2, 2020) By: Matt Dionne, Insauga The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) is staging protests across the province in relation to a new bill proposed by the Ford government. Bill 175 would privatize and remove oversight for home and community care, while Bill 161 would make it harder to launch class-action lawsuits against private companies, including […]

Public health care under threat says London Health Coalition

(July 2, 2020) By: Bryan Bicknell, CTV News London LONDON, ONT. — Demonstrators gathered outside Covent Garden Market Thursday to protest a bill they say could lead to the end of public health care as we know it. “We’re very concerned that if home care gets privatized the last vestiges of what we have in […]

Advocacy group staging protests against new Ontario bill

(July 2, 2020) By: Matt Dionne, Inhalton The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) is staging protests across the province in relation to a new bill proposed by the Ford government. Bill 175 would privatize and remove oversight for home and community care, while Bill 161 would make it harder to launch class-action lawsuits against private companies, including […]

Inaction on long-term care focus of Thurs. rallies

(July 1, 2020) By: Sudbury Star Staff Protesters demand better care for seniors at a June 24 rally organized by the Sudbury chapter of the Ontario Health Coalition. The same group will be holding more rallies tomorrow (Thursday) outside the Rainbow Centre and on Barrydowne Road. John Lappa/Sudbury Star Health advocates in Sudbury will join […]

Ontario’s ombudsman received more than 800 complaints due to COVID-19

(June 30, 2020) By: Rob Ferguson, Northumberland News Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube also launched an investigation June 1 into the provincial government’s oversight of nursing homes and released his annual report this week. – Dan Pearce Ontario ombudsman Paul Dubé says his investigation into the high death toll from COVID-19 at nursing homes is looking […]

Ontario’s ombudsman received more than 800 complaints due to COVID-19

(June 30, 2020) By: Rob Ferguson, Orangeville.com Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube also launched an investigation June 1 into the provincial government’s oversight of nursing homes and released his annual report this week. – Dan Pearce Ontario ombudsman Paul Dubé says his investigation into the high death toll from COVID-19 at nursing homes is looking at […]

Advocacy groups declare anti-Black racism a public health crisis

(June 30, 2020) By: Lily Huang, The Charlatan Protestors gather on Wellington street in front of Parliament for the protest. [Photo by Tim Austen] Anti-Black racism is a systemic issue that affects all facets of life for the Black community, including their health. Several organizations in Canada declared anti-Black racism a public health crisis within […]

Advocacy group urging Province to resume releasing COVID-19 data for health care settings

(June 28, 2020) By: Matt Dionne, Inhalton Since the COVID-19 outbreak began in Ontario, the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) has been tracking the spread of the virus in health care settings. Additionally, the OHC has been comparing their data with Public Health Ontario’s data and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s data. Based on their most […]

Homecare disaster looming on the horizon

(June 27, 2020) By: Roma Smith, North Bay Nugget (Print Edition) To the editor: While we are distracted by the horrors happening in long-term care, the Doug Ford government is ramming a bill through the legislature that will lead to the privatization of homecare. In the 1990s, the Conservative government turned long-term care over to […]

Ottawa At Work with Leslie Roberts for Wednesday June 24th, 2020

(June 24, 2020) By: Leslie Roberts, 580 CFRA Ottawa At Work with Leslie Roberts for Wednesday June 24th, 2020 interview with Natalie Mehra (begins 7:35). Click here for original clip

New provincial bill could change how home care is delivered, Waterloo region health advocate warns

(June 27, 2020) By: Kate Bueckert, CBC news Kitchener-Waterloo Health advocates are warning a new provincial bill could make big changes the way home care is delivered in Ontario. (DGLimages/Shutterstock) A new bill could change how home care is delivered in the province and could even pave the way for privatization, says one Waterloo region health advocate. But […]

Protesters demand fixes in long-term care homes; Local advocates slam the Ontario’s new long-term care legislation

(June 25, 2020) By: Mark Malone, Chatham Daily News Dental hygienist Pat Lambier says she’s seen oral problems in local long-term care homes as appalling as those she faced in Indonesian refugee camps. “It was like a Third World country,” she said. Lambier stopped working in Southwestern Ontario homes six or seven years ago, but […]

Citizens rally for seniors care

(June 25, 2020) By: Mary Katherine Keown, Sudbury Star They rallied in the rain to make their voices heard. A half-dozen supporters of the Ontario Health Coalition braved Wednesday’s cold rain and assembled at the Elm Street offices of the Northeast Local Health Integration Network Wednesday afternoon to show their concern for Bill 175. The […]

Ontario Health Coalition calls for action on long-term care; Chair says advocacy group opposed to ‘hastily written’Bill 175

(June 25, 2020) By: Paul Morden, Sarnia Observer Ontario should immediately launch a public inquiry into longterm care and withdraw its legislation to change the province’s home-care system, says the local chairperson of the Ontario Health Coalition. Shirley Roebuck, who also sits on the provincial board of the group advocating for public health care, spoke […]

Ford government defeats amendment to remove profits from home care

(June 24, 2020) By: Zaid Noorsumar, RankandFile The Ontario PC government of Premier Doug Ford has rejected the Official Opposition’s call to remove profits from the province’s home care sector. During the standing committee meetings for Bill 175 on Monday and Tuesday, the government struck down all of the amendments proposed by the opposition parties. The NDP […]

PROTESTS AGAINST BILL 175 TODAY

(June 24, 2020) By: Tami Jeanneret, iHeart Radio Members and supporters of the Ontario Health Coalition will be staging several noon hour protests today. The protests at MPP’s offices and Queen’s Park are aimed at Bill 175, a plan the group says will restructure and privatize home care while refusing to address critical care and […]

Bill to privatize home care being rushed through, health advocates say

(June 24, 2020) By: Angela Gemmill, CBC News Currently all publicly-funded home care service in Ontario is assessed and then provided through the 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs). (DGLimages/Shutterstock) Advocates of publicly funding health care are sounding the alarm bells over new legislation under debate at Queens Park, which would restructure and privatize home […]

Younger disabled people hurt by ‘patchwork system of long-term care’

(June 24, 2020) By: John Loeppky, ricochet I think the solution is to get out. When the house is on fire, you get out the house, you don’t stay put.” That’s what Jonathan Marchand, a resident in a long-term care facility in Quebec, has to say when asked about the predicament facing people with disabilities […]

Protesters demand improvements in long-term care homes

(June 24, 2020) By: Mark Malone, Chatham Daily News Chatham-Kent Health Coalition chairperson Shirley Roebuck speaks during a protest about issues in long-term care homes outside MPP Rick Nicholls’s office in Chatham, Ont., on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Mark Malone/Chatham Daily News/Postmedia Network Dental hygienist Pat Lambier says she’s seen oral problems in local long-term […]

Advocacy group urging Province to resume releasing COVID-19 data for health care settings

(June 24, 2020) By: Matt Dionne, inbrampton Since the COVID-19 outbreak began in Ontario, the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) has been tracking the spread of the virus in health care settings. Additionally, the OHC has been comparing their data with Public Health Ontario’s data and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s data. Based on their most recent report, the […]

Bill 175 to ‘modernize’ delivery of home-care services: Nicholls

(June 24, 2020) By: Chatham Voice Staff, The Chatham Voice With members of the Chatham-Kent Health Coalition (CKHC) poised to picket outside his offices today, local MPP Rick Nicholls commented on their areas of concern. The CKHC and the Ontario Health Coalition are picketing over Bill 175, the Connecting People to Home and Community Care […]

Ontario Health Coalition calls for action on long-term care

(June 24, 2020) By: Paul Morden, The Observer Shirley Roebuck, with the Ontario Health Coalition, stands outside the constituency office Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey. PAUL MORDEN / THE OBSERVER Ontario should immediately launch a public inquiry into long-term care and withdraw its legislation to change the province’s home-care system, says the local chairperson of the […]

Ontario Health Coalition calls for action on long-term care

(June 24, 2020) By: Paul Morden, Sarnia Observer Ontario should immediately launch a public inquiry into long-term care and withdraw its legislation to change the province’s home-care system, says the local chairperson of the Ontario Health Coalition. Shirley Roebuck, who also sits on the provincial board of the group advocating for public health care, spoke […]

Health Coalition says new bill will lead to more privatization of home care

(June 24, 2020) By: Doug Diaczuk, tbnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – The Ontario Health Coalition is raising the alarm about legislation proposed by the Ford government that it says will open the door to more privatization of home care and long-term care in the province. The Ontario Health Coalition held rallies in 12 cities across Ontario, […]

Demonstration against Bill 175

(June 24, 2020) By: Melanie Irwin, blackburnnews.com Sarnia-Lambton Health Coalition Chair Shirley Roebuck and Steve Clendenning with Unifor Local 914, taking part in a province-wide day of action to bring attention to Bill 175. 24 June 2020. (BlackburnNews.com photo by Colin Gowdy) There was only a couple of people at a demonstration outside Sarnia-Lambton MPP […]

Demonstrators call for more sober second thought on new Ontario home care bill

(June 24, 2020) By: Len Gillis, sudbury.com A steady sprinkle of rain in downtown Sudbury didn’t dampen the spirits of a small but passionate group of protesters who believe Premier Doug Ford is steering his government in the wrong direction with Bill 175, known as the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020. […]

Protesters rally against province’s community and home care bill

(June 24, 2020) By: Katherine Hill, CTV News KITCHENER — Protesters rallied in Kitchener on Wednesday against the Ford government’s proposed bill to change how home care operates in the province. The group gathered along King Street in Kitchener, near local MPP Amy Fee’s office. Organizers said they’re concerned Bill 175 will restructure and privatize […]

Protesters call for pause on health-care bill

(June 24, 2020) By: Chris Seto, The Record KITCHENER — Motivated by fears around further privatization of health care in Ontario, members of the Waterloo Region Health Coalition held a rally Wednesday in Kitchener to sound the alarm over Bill 175. Starting at noon, more than 20 people spread out along King Street East near […]

Protesters demand improvements in long-term care homes

(June 24, 2020) By: Mark Malone, Chatham Daily News Dental hygienist Pat Lambier says she’s seen oral problems in local long-term care homes as appalling as those she faced in Indonesian refugee camps. “It was like a Third World country,” she said. Lambier stopped working in Southwestern Ontario homes six or seven years ago, but […]

Local protesters join province-wide opposition to Bill 175

(June 24, 2020) By: Tony Saxon, Guelph Today A small group of people gathered in Downtown Guelph Wednesday at noon to protest what they feel is a very big issue: Bill 175. There were 15 people gathered outside Old Quebec Street Shoppes, most of them members of the local chapter of the Ontario Health Coalition, […]

Protesters to demand action

(June 24, 2020) By: Sudbury Star Staff, Sudbury Staff A protest will be held in Sudbury today as part of a series of demonstrations across Ontario concerning the staffing shortage in long-term care homes. The Ontario Health Coalition protest will take place outside the North East Local Health Integration Network offices in the Rainbow Centre, […]

Citizens rally for seniors care

(June 24, 2020) By: Mary Katherine Keown, The Sudbury Star Pat Byrne, right, takes part in a protest organized by the Sudbury chapter of the Ontario Health Coalition on Wednesday. JOHN LAPPA/SUDBURY STAR They rallied in the rain to make their voices heard. A half-dozen supporters of the Ontario Health Coalition braved Wednesday’s cold rain […]

Local protesters join province-wide opposition to Bill 175 (5 photos)

(June 24, 2020) By: Tony Saxon, GuelphToday A small group of people gathered in Downtown Guelph Wednesday at noon to protest what they feel is a very big issue: Bill 175. There were 15 people gathered outside Old Quebec Street Shoppes, most of them members of the local chapter of the Ontario Health Coalition, a […]

Demonstrators call for more sober second thought on new Ontario home care bill

(June 24, 2020) By: Len Gillis, Sudbury.com Dot Klein, co-chair of the Sudbury chapter of the Ontario Health Coalition, holds a sign alongside supporters demonstrating against Ontario’s new home care bill. (Len Gillis/Sudbury.com) A steady sprinkle of rain in downtown Sudbury didn’t dampen the spirits of a small but passionate group of protesters who believe […]

Families demand better support for nursing homes

(June 24, 2020) By: CTV News Analysis Ontario long-term care homes are continuing to struggle amid the COVID-19 pandemic as families ask the province to better support homes. Click here for original video

PROTESTS AGAINST BILL 175 TODAY

(June 24, 2020) By: Tami Jeanneret, iHeartRadio Photo: iStock/rclassenlayouts Members and supporters of the Ontario Health Coalition will be staging several noon hour protests today. The protests at MPP’s offices and Queen’s Park are aimed at Bill 175, a plan the group says will restructure and privatize home care while refusing to address critical care […]

Bill 175 to ‘modernize’ delivery of home-care services: Nicholls

(June 24, 2020) By: The Chatham Voice With members of the Chatham-Kent Health Coalition (CKHC) poised to picket outside his offices today, local MPP Rick Nicholls commented on their areas of concern. The CKHC and the Ontario Health Coalition are picketing over Bill 175, the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act. They said […]

Sudbury protesters rally against Ontario Bill 175

(June 24, 2020) By: Ian Campbell, CTV News SUDBURY — A dozen protesters braved the bleak weather on Wednesday to send a message to Premier Doug Ford: they want Bill 175 scrapped. Armed with signs, they gathered outside the Rainbow Centre over the noon hour calling for action. “We are demanding that the Ford government withdraw Bill […]

Health Coalition says new bill will lead to more privatization of home care

COVID-19: We Need an Ethical Compass For Fixing Long-Term Care in Canada

(June 23, 2020) By: David Pfrimmer, Zoomer Canada’s military recently reported the living conditions in some of the country’s long-term care homes “appeared to be nothing short of horrid and inhumane.” As many as 82 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths in Canada have been connected to long-term care facilities. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was angry, sad and […]

Wednesday protests: Health coalition says proposed home care changes could ‘destabilize’ system

(June 23, 2020) By: Len Gillis, sudbury.com The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), a group that lobbies for full publicly funded health care, has organized a province-wide day of protest for this Wednesday, June 24 which includes noon-hour rallies in downtown Sudbury and New Sudbury. The concern by OHC is that the Ontario government is trying to […]

Advocacy group staging protests against Bill related to long-term care facilities

(June 23, 2020) By: Matt Dionne, inthehammer The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) is concerned about the Province’s inaction regarding long-term care facilities. In a release, the OHC expressed concerns regarding several deaths of long-term care facility residents for preventable reasons such as malnutrition and insufficient care. Some facilities were in such bad shape, the military had […]

Health-care protest slated for Wednesday in Chatham

(June 23, 2020) By: Bruce Corcoran, The Chatham Voice Chatham-Kent Health Coalition (CKHC) members and others aren’t happy with a proposed government bill, and they’ll be protesting Wednesday outside our local MPP’s Chatham office. Shirley Roebuck of the CKHC said the issue is Bill 175, the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act. The […]

‘Righteous rage’: Woodbridge families share pain, anger after COVID-19 crisis

(June 23, 2020) By: Kim Zarzour, YorkRegion.com Earlier this month, the province seized control and called in the armed forces to help as COVID-19 ravaged residents in the 224-bed Woodbridge Vista long-term-care home. Vista is not the only long-term-care facility that is in dire straits right now — just the latest. It’s the sixth home […]

Letters: Provincial homecare plans; federal support for seniors

(June 23, 2020) By: Sudbury Star Staff, Sudbury Star Homecare disaster is looming on the horizon While we are distracted by the horrors happening in long-term care, the Ford government is ramming a bill through the legislature that will lead to the privatization of homecare. In the 1990s the Conservative government turned long-term care over […]

Homecare disaster is looming on the horizon

(June 23, 2020) By: Roma Smith, Sudbury Star While we are distracted by the horrors happening in long-term care, the Ford government is ramming a bill through the legislature that will lead to the privatization of homecare. In the 1990s the Conservative government turned long-term care over to private, for-profit businesses. The outcome of that […]

PROTEST AGAINST PROPOSED CHANGES TO ONTARIO COMMUNITY CARE ACT

(June 23, 2020) By: Tami Jeanneret, iHeartRadio Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff will be greeted by protestors if he heads to work tomorrow at his Beamsville office. Members of the Ontario Health Coalition will be demonstrating in front of MPP’s offices across the province tomorrow, starting at noon, as well as on the lawn of […]

Health-care protest slated for Wednesday in Chatham

We need an ethical compass for fixing long-term care during the COVID-19 crisis

(June 22, 2020) By: David Primmer, Cape Breton Post Canada’s military recently reported the living conditions in some of the country’s long-term care homes “appeared to be nothing short of horrid and inhumane.” As many as 82 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths in Canada have been connected to long-term care facilities. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was angry, […]

Health care coalition questions home care bill

(June 22, 2020) By: Mike Aiken, DrydenNow Natalie Mehra of the Ontario Health Care Coalition has concerns about Bill 175. It would restructure home and community care under the umbrella of the provincial health teams. “How is it going to work in northern Ontario, where there are these large populations spread out over huge geography […]

LETTER: Saultite concerned about Bill 175

(June 22, 2020) By: SooToday Staff Marie is an Ontario Health Coalition member from Sault Ste. Marie. Stock image Bill 175, entitled ‘Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act 2020′, is an act that would, if passed, overhaul the present system of home care. Saultite Marie DellaVedova writes of her concern that the Ford government […]

Health care coalition questions home care bill

(June 22, 2020) By: Mike Aiken, KenoraOnline Natalie Mehra of the Ontario Health Care Coalition raises concerns about Bill 175. (Submitted) Natalie Mehra of the Ontario Health Care Coalition has concerns about Bill 175. It would restructure home and community care under the umbrella of the provincial health teams. “How is it going to work […]

Open Letter about Bill 175

(June 22, 2020) By: SaultOnline Letter to the Editor – Bill 175 “Have you heard about Bill 175, the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act 2020? In the midst of a pandemic and the struggle to contain it, the Ontario government is proposing to overhaul the present system of home care. We are […]

We need an ethical compass for fixing long-term care during the COVID-19 crisis

(June 21, 2020) By: David Pfrimmer, The Conversation Canada’s military recently reported the living conditions in some of the country’s long-term care homes “appeared to be nothing short of horrid and inhumane.” As many as 82 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths in Canada have been connected to long-term care facilities. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was angry, sad […]

We must let our outrage drive real change in care for vulnerable citizens

(June 21, 2020) By: Linda Till, The Hamilton Spectator No one I know of is eagerly awaiting the day when they will be placed in a long-term-care facility. Quite the contrary — people repeatedly express a desire to remain living in their own homes as they age. But the system currently offers little to no […]

Coronavirus: Nursing homes begin refilling beds emptied by pandemic, worrying families

(June 19, 2020) By: Stewart Bell and Andrew Russell, Global News The Markhaven nursing home lost 17 residents to the coronavirus, but now that its outbreak has been declared over, the management has told families it is refilling beds emptied by the pandemic. “We’re going to start admitting new residents this week, and will continue to […]

Former Ontario premier Mike Harris is raking in profits from the long-term care system he helped create

(June 18, 2020) By: Jan Malek, rabble.ca Twenty-five years ago, Mike Harris and his Progressive Conservative party ousted Bob Rae’s NDP government in Ontario, starting the so-called “common sense revolution.” Pledging to tackle Ontario’s deficit, the Harris government pushed tax reductions and slashed public spending on health care, education and social services. The government closed […]

“It is a New Low” Behaviour of Government MPPs in Home Care Legislation Public Hearings Unprecedented and Unacceptable says Ontario Health Coalition

(June 18, 2020) By: Exchange Magazine “In addition, we have never heard or seen before MPPs cutting off presenters and telling them that they must answer only “yes” or “no” to trick questions that do not have a clear yes or no answer. It is a new low in what is supposed to be a […]

Advocacy group urging province to scrap new health care bill

(June 17, 2020) By: Matt Dionne, insauga Cover photo courtesy of @kathaforunifor’s Twitter A new Bill proposed by the Province could have a negative impact on home and community care according to an advocacy group. According to a news release from the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the new Bill: “Guts existing home and community care legislation, dismantles public […]

Coronavirus: Ontario’s worst hit nursing homes and who owns them

(June 16, 2020) By: Stewart Bell and Andrew Russell, Global News Almost a third of the Ontario nursing home residents who have died of COVID-19 were living at facilities owned by just two corporate chains, according to a Global News analysis of government statistics. Sienna Senior Living and Revera Inc. long-term care facilities have lost […]

Critics say province should slow down plans to revamp home care

(June 15, 2020) By: Elizabeth Payne, Sudbury Star Ontario says it is breathing new life into an outdated system, but critics say the province’s plan to revamp home care in the middle of a pandemic is reckless and will cause further chaos for those most affected by COVID-19. In March, critics complained the Ontario government […]

Critics say province should slow down plans to turn home care on its head

(June 13, 2020) By: Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen Natalie Mehra is executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. JOHN LAPPA / Postmedia Ontario says it is breathing new life into an outdated system, but critics say the province’s plan to revamp home care in the middle of a pandemic is reckless and will cause further chaos […]

Ford government moving to privatize health care, reader says

(June 11, 2020) By: Lindsay Advocate I am beyond disgusted at the Ford government. Premier Doug Ford is moving ahead with Bill 175, which seeks to privatize home health care — even as he cries crocodile tears over the horrible conditions at long-term care homes. As citizens of this country, we have worked, paid taxes […]

Ontario Health Coalition Calls on Government to Implement Repeated Recommendations to Improve Conditions in Long-Term Care Homes

By: Today’s Northumberland The Ontario Health Coalition, which has released major reports annually on the state of long-term care in Ontario in recent years, expressed its frustration upon reading the description of infection control practices at the facilities to which military personnel were dispatched. The Coalition has called on the Ford government repeatedly to improve […]

Long-term care concerns not new

(June 10, 2020) By: Karen Gventer, Owen Sound Sun Times (Print Edition) The government’s failure to provide safe, quality care to seniors in this province is disappointing, but hardly a surprise. Health-care workers, and the wider labour movement, have been sounding the alarm for many years. In particular, the Ontario Health Coalition has been raising […]

Soldiers may be called to testify in lawsuits against long-term care homes

(June 9, 2020) By: Marc Montgomery, Radio Canada International (en) When coronavirus cases began to mount across the country in mid-March, long-term care facilities for the elderly and those needing constant care were particularly hard hit. Most of these facilities are privately run by for-profit companies. Many of the elderly in the homes soon began […]

Report finds patients of colour less likely to get pain meds among racial issues plaguing health care

(June 9, 2020) By: Len Gillis, Sudbury.com Ontario Health Coalition cites numerous studies showing the amount of pain relief can depend on a person’s skin tone The amount of pain relief a person receives can often depend on their skin tone, stated a report by the Ontario Health Coalition released this month, citing studies from […]

“We need a public, not-for-profit home care system”

(June 9, 2020) By: Zaid Noorsumar, RANKANDLIFE.CA Ontario’s new home and community care legislation will likely become law by the end of the month with virtually no public consultation, even as it impacts over 700,000 annual care recipients who require personal support services, nursing care, physiotherapy and other services. Instead of addressing the myriad problems that have plagued the system […]

Racism against Black people a public health crisis, says Ontario health coalition

(June 8, 2020) By: Meredith MacLeod, CTV News TORONTO — As protesters around the world continue to take to the streets to demand an end to violence and oppression aimed at Black people, a coalition of Black community health leaders is calling on the Ontario government to declare anti-Black racism a public health crisis. “Our […]

‘Tragic’ COVID-19 deaths not unexpected, Hirji says

(June 7, 2020) By: Allan Benner, Niagara Falls Review Garden City Manor on Scott Street in St. Catharines is one of two Niagara long-term care homes currently experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks. – Bob Tymczyszyn , Torstar While the number of COVID-19 outbreaks in health-care facilities across the province has begun to stabilize, a new Ontario Health […]

COUPLE’S DEATHS, MINUTES APART, A REMINDER THE PANDEMIC ISN’T OVER, SAYS TORONTO DOCTOR

(June 6, 2020) By: Meredith MacLeod, iHeartRadio A husband and wife died in a hospital room of COVID-19 Thursday just three minutes apart. “This pandemic is only over for people who don’t survive it,” wrote Toronto physician Dr. Abdu Sharkawy in a tweet Friday about the couple’s death. He hopes to convince those believing the […]

Long-Term Care Protest at Piccini’s Office

(June 25, 2020) By: Bill Hornbostel, Port Hope Now The contents of Bill 161 & Bill 175 focus of Northumberland Health Coalition Article and image by Bill Hornbostel At noon on Wednesday, June 24, a small group of protestors gathered in front of MPP David Piccini’s office located on Peter Street in Port Hope. Responding […]

Des milliers de travailleurs de la santé canadiens infectés par le COVID-19 en raison du manque d’EPI

(June 2, 2020) By: Omar Ali, World Socialist Web Site La négligence en matière de soins de santé au Canada par une élite dirigeante indifférente à la vie des travailleurs peut se manifester de manière particulièrement aiguë au cours de la présente pandémie par l’incapacité à fournir au personnel médical, même en première ligne, un […]

Profit motive blamed in long-term care crisis

(June 4, 2020) By: Michael Swan, The Catholic Register The 88-year-old godmother of palliative care in Ontario knows exactly what’s wrong with long-term care in the province. Much of it is motivated by profit. “The profit motive is — what do I want to call it? — something that sets fire to the concept of […]

Action needed now on long-term care

(June 4, 2020) By: Nancy Johnson and Roma Smith, Sudbury Star The following is an open letter to Premier Doug Ford and cabinet regarded expedited action to achieve short-and long-term safety and wellbeing of long-term care residents. The Northeast Family Councils Network, a grassroots group of volunteers from long-term care Family Councils in Northeast Ontario’s […]

Lack of funding at heart of long-term care home issues: County official

(June 3, 2020) By: Shane MacDonald, Orilla Matters The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged Ontario’s long-term-care homes, but experts and industry members say the conditions that let it happen have been an issue for decades. A Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) report detailing findings in five Ontario long-term-care homes released May 26 found that residents were living in […]

Unifor applauds investigation of Ontario’s oversight of long-term care during pandemic

(June 3, 2020) By: News Wire TORONTO, June 3, 2020 /CNW/ – Unifor applauds the decision of the Ontario Ombudsman to investigate the provincial government’s oversight of long-term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. “One thing that we know for certain is that this pandemic publicly exposed the precariousness of the long-term care system that we have […]

Ontario health leaders call on province to declare anti-Black racism public health crisis

(June 3, 2020) By: Nick Westoll, Global News A coalition of Black community health leaders and organizations is calling on the Ontario government to declare anti-Black racism a public health crisis as protests continue across North America. “Our communities are grieving. This moment is unprecedented, yet in many ways we have been here before,” a recent joint statement issued […]

Unifor applauds investigation of Ontario’s oversight of long-term care during pandemic

(June 3, 2020) By: Stockhouse TORONTO, June 3, 2020 /CNW/ – Unifor applauds the decision of the Ontario Ombudsman to investigate the provincial government’s oversight of long-term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. “One thing that we know for certain is that this pandemic publicly exposed the precariousness of the long-term care system that we have been […]

The ‘revolving door’ between Ontario’s PCs and the for-profit seniors care industry worst hit by coronavirus

(June 3, 2020) By: Samuel Helguero, The Post Millennial For decades, long-term care homes have been operated by non-profits, municipalities, or for-profit companies. It was the Chair of Chartwell Retirement Residences, and former Premier, Mike Harris, that started the for-profit boom in Ontario. With Harris’ introduction of a competitive bidding process for home care services […]

UNIFOR welcomes Ombudsman probe of provincial long term care oversight

(June 3, 2020) By: Janice MacKay, BlackburnNews Unifor welcomed an Ontario Ombudsman investigation into the provincial government’s oversight of long-term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unifor National President Jerry Dias said the pandemic publicly exposed the precariousness of the long-term care system. He added if nursing homes were properly staffed, especially with personal support […]

COVID-19 highlights ‘systemic issues of inadequate care,’ says advocacy group

(June 3, 2020) By: Shane MacDonald, Bradford Today The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged Ontario’s long-term-care homes, but experts and industry members say the conditions that let it happen have been an issue for decades. A Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) report detailing findings in five Ontario long-term-care homes released May 26 found that residents were living in […]

Ford Government ’s Home Care Changes Dismantle Public Control, Risk Privatization: Health Coalition

(June 2, 2020) By: Exchange Magazine In a press conference at the Ontario Legislature from early March, spokespeople for the Ontario Health Coalition raised concerns about the Ford government’s new home care legislation that the Health Coalition reported is being rushed through the legislature at break – neck speed. The Bill, Connecting People to Home […]

Thousands of Canadian medical workers infected with COVID-19 due to lack of PPE

(June 1, 2020) By: Omar Ali, World Socialist Web Site The neglect of health care in Canada by a ruling elite that is indifferent to the lives of working people can be seen most acutely during the present pandemic in the failure to provide even frontline medical staff with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE). This […]

Military’s report paints a grim picture of Ontario’s long-term care system

(June 1, 2020) By: Nate Smelle, Bancroft this Week With the death toll in Ontario’s long-term care facilities due to COVID-19 rising fast, on April 22 the provincial government decided it was time to seek assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces. At this time, Ontario’s Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Barbara Yaffe reported […]

Fighting Covid-19: International Lessons and Warnings

(May 29, 2020) Health Campaigns Together and Keep Our NHS Publicinvite you to hear from our allies from Europe, Canada, USA and the UK, to help us learn from the tragic, but very different, experiences of how health services and politicians have responded to the Covid19 pandemic around the world Click here for original video

How has COVID-19 impacted non-profits? We check in with six Ontario charities

(May 31, 2020) By: Megan DeLaire, Durham Region Ontario’s non-profit sector may be the largest in Canada, contributing $50 million to the provincial economy, but it’s not immune to the viral pandemic that has shut the province down. We reached out to some charities to find out how they are doing three months into the […]

Province ‘should have known’ state of long-term care

(May 31, 2020) By: Andrew Duffy, North Bay Nugget Advocates for Ontario’s long-term care residents say Premier Doug Ford and his government should have known which long-term care homes would be most at risk in a pandemic based on years of inspection reports, risk modelling and bed classifications. In an interview, NDP health critic France […]

Fact Check & Briefing Note on Inspections in Ontario’s Long-Term Care Homes

(May 31, 2020) By: Ontario Health Coalition TORONTO, June 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Ontario Health Coalition, which has advocated for more than two decades for annual unannounced full resident quality inspections of all long-term care homes, issued a fact checker to clarify what has happened with the homes’ inspection and enforcement regimen. The […]

Pandemic should push change in long-term care; Advocates say there is no going back now that inadequacies have been highlighted

(May 30, 2020) By: Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen Once the novel coronavirus has been tamed or eradicated and the world returns to “normal,” what will that look like? Will COVID-19 fundamentally and permanently alter our lives? In an occasional series, this newspaper examines the potential lasting effects of the pandemic on how we live, work […]

Health Coalition seeks commission into long-term care homes

(May 30, 2020) By: Jake Romphf, Chatham Daily News The Ontario Health Coalition is asking the recently announced commission into long-term care homes be independent of operators and owners while calling for a public inquiry into the province’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shirley Roebuck, chair of the Chatham-Kent, Sarnia, Wallaceburg and Walpole Island First […]

How the pandemic might spur real change in Ontario’s long-term care homes

(May 30, 2020) By: Elizabeth Payne, Regina Leader- Post The COVID-19 crisis has shone a devastating light on one of Ontario’s worst kept secrets: The province’s system of caring for the elderly is underfunded, inadequately staffed and badly designed. COVID-19 exploited those vulnerabilities. Could it also be the push that changes long-term care in Ontario? […]

Laying It Out: Great news, we’re trading seniors for profit

(May 30, 2020) By: Medicine Hat News Let me see if I have this right… The good news is only old people are dying, and the vast majority of those old people are in long-term care facilities that I don’t even need to go to. Let’s live it up! We used to acknowledge the fact […]

COVID-19 and the Crisis in Long-Term Care in Ontario

(May 30, 2020) By: Socialist Project The Ontario Health Coalition sent an open letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford signed by family councils, health professionals, social organizations, cultural organizations, seniors’ and retirees’ groups, health coalitions, legal clinics, and many others who collectively represent more than 1.5 million Ontarians. Almost unbelievably, the Ford government is rushing […]

How the pandemic might spur real change in Ontario’s long-term care homes

(May 30, 2020) By: Elizabeth Payne, The Sudbury Star The COVID-19 crisis has shone a devastating light on one of Ontario’s worst kept secrets: The province’s system of caring for the elderly is underfunded, inadequately staffed and badly designed. COVID-19 exploited those vulnerabilities. Could it also be the push that changes long-term care in Ontario? […]

Who owns the 5 Ontario long-term care homes cited by military for extreme neglect, abuse?

(May 29, 2020) By: Andrew Russell & Stewart Bell, Global News Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a reference to Southbridge Care Homes operating Pinecrest nursing home in Bobcagyeon, Ont. The company owns Pinecrest nursing home in Plantagenet, Ont. A searing report from Canada’s military into Ontario’s troubled long-term-care system where over 1,600 people […]

Health Coalition seeks independent commission into long-term care homes

(May 29, 2020) By: Robin Harvey, Sarnia Observer The Ontario Health Coalition is asking that the recently announced commission into long-term care (LTC) homes be independent of their operators and owners, and is also calling for a public commission into the province’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shirley Roebuck, chair of the Chatham-Kent, Sarnia, Wallaceburg […]

Advocates say Ontario should have known the ‘horrific’ state of long-term care

(May 29, 2020) By: Andrew Duffy, Ottawa Citizen Advocates for Ontario’s long-term care residents say Premier Doug Ford and his government should have known which long-term care homes would be most at risk in a pandemic based on years of inspection reports, risk modelling and bed classifications. In an interview Friday, NDP health critic France […]

Who owns the 5 Ontario long-term care homes cited by military for extreme neglect, abuse?

(May 29, 2020) By: Andrew Russell and Stewart Bell, Global News Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a reference to Southbridge Care Homes operating Pinecrest nursing home in Bobcagyeon, Ont. The company owns Pinecrest nursing home in Plantagenet, Ont. A searing report from Canada’s military into Ontario’s troubled long-term-care system where over 1,600 people […]

Mackenzie-Nicholas Calls for Public Inquiry in Long Term Care Homes

(May 28, 2020) By: Valerie MacDonald, Cobourg Now “An inquiry would be a better method allowing members of the public to testify” The July start to an independent commission on conditions in Long Term Care Homes (LTC) is good, but a full public inquiry is what is needed, says the co-chair of the Northumberland Chapter of […]

LTC crisis exposed; Our views

(May 28, 2020) By: Cornwall Standard-Freeholder (Print Edition) The fact it took the Canadian military to reveal the true scope of the horrific conditions in five Ontario long-term care homes more than two months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic is deeply alarming. Why didn’t the province’s inspection system uncover these appalling conditions long […]

Matthews: We cannot wait for an inquiry when it comes to our long-term care homes

(May 28, 2020) By: Catherine Matthews, Ottawa Citizen Our organization, the Ottawa Health Coalition, has been warning successive Ontario governments of the worsening ongoing crisis in long-term care homes for many years. It’s incredible the Canadian Armed Forces had to be called in to protect some of our most vulnerable elderly against the ravages caused […]

Majority of Sudburians believe province was unprepared for pandemic: OCHU

(May 28, 2020) By: Arron Pickard, Sudbury.com A majority of Sudburians polled by the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE) and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario believe the provincial government failed to properly prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic. Of those polled, 68 per cent said the province did not adequately prepare for the […]

Military Report on Conditions in Ontario’s Long-Term Care Homes: “Beyond Frustrated”

(May 28, 2020) By: Exchange Magazine The Ontario Health Coalition, which has released major reports annually on the state of long-term care in Ontario in recent years, expressed its frustration upon reading the description of infection control practices at the facilities to which military personnel were dispatched. The Coalition has called on the Ford government […]

Ontario Public Health Coalition calls for a public inquiry into province’s overall response to COVID-19

(May 28, 2020) By: The Review The Ontario Health Coalition sent an open letter to Premier Doug Ford signed by family councils, health professionals, social organizations, cultural organizations, seniors’ and retirees’ groups, health coalitions, legal clinics, and many others who collectively represent more than 1.5 million Ontarians. The letter is below..Ontario 15 Gervais Drive, Suite 201, […]

Ontario Health Coalition among groups calling for transparency in LTC inquiry

(May 28, 2020) By: Durham Radio Group The Ontario Health Coalition is one of dozens of groups that are calling on the Ford government to ensure any inquiry into the state of long-term care (LTC) homes is open, public and transparent. In a joint open letter to the provincial government, the groups say a “full […]

Military exposes dire state of Ontario long-term care

(May 27, 2020) By: REMI network The Canadian Armed Forces has issued a scathing report on the state of Ontario’s long-term care homes, shedding light on the grim conditions service members observed in five specific GTA residences. Calling the report “heart-wrenching and “disturbing”, Premier Doug Ford announced that an investigation has been launched and that […]

Editorial: Military report exposes crisis in long-term care

(May 27, 2020) By: Robin Harvey, London Free Press The fact it took the Canadian military to reveal the true scope of the horrific conditions in five Ontario long-term care homes more than two months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic is deeply alarming. Why didn’t the province’s inspection system uncover these appalling conditions […]

Advocacy group calling for immediate action to improve conditions among long-term care facilities

(May 27, 2020) By: Matt Dionne, InBrampton The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) continues to decry the abhorrent state of many long-term care facilities in the province. Recently, military personnel were dispatched to assist residents at several long-term care facilities due to the less-than-sanitary conditions residents were being subjected to. The OHC is calling for the Province to improve access […]

Military report reveals what sector has long known: Ontario’s nursing homes are in trouble

(May 27, 2020) By: Yahoo News Military report reveals what sector has long known: Ontario’s nursing homes are in trouble Jacqueline Mitchell hasn’t been able to hug her 94-old-mother since March, and now, in the face of a shocking Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) report into the state of five Ontario long-term care homes, she is […]

EDITORIAL: Military report exposes crisis in long-term care Sudbury Star

(May 27, 2020) By: Donald Macdonald, Sudbury Star The fact it took the Canadian military to reveal the true scope of the horrific conditions in five Ontario long-term care homes more than two months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic is deeply alarming. Why didn’t the province’s inspection system uncover these appalling conditions long […]

Military exposes long-term care crisis

(May 27, 2020) By: Toronto Sun (Print Edition) The fact it took the Canadian military to reveal the true scope of the horrific conditions in five Ontario long-term care homes more than two months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic is deeply alarming. Why didn’t the province’s inspection system uncover these appalling conditions long […]

HEALTH COALITION BLAMES FORD GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE OWNERS ON TRAGEDY UNFOLDING AT NURSING HOMES

(May 27, 2020) By: TAMI JEANNERET, IHeartRadio Tragic but not surprising, that from the head of the Ontario Health Coalition about the Canadian Armed Forces report on the state of five nursing homes in the province. The report outlines a litany of issues the military encountered when they were called in to help the homes […]

‘Just a total staffing crisis’

(May 26, 2020) By: CTV News Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition, Natalie Mehra, weighs in on the military report on the conditions of long-term care homes. Click here to watch the video interview

Ford faces blowback after military report reveals ‘horrific’ conditions at Ontario long-term care homes

(May 26, 2020) By: CBC News Province saw a drop in number of new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, but testing remains far below target The military has been deployed to nursing homes in Ontario and Quebec to reinforce workers overwhelmed by the illness, unable to keep up with residents’ needs because of all the protective measures […]

Un rapport accablant de l’armée sur cinq centres de soins de longue durée en Ontario

(May 26, 2020) By: Natasha MacDonald-Dupuis and Pascale Brénielm, Radio Canada Des militaires ont été témoins de situations accablantes dans des foyers de soins ontariens (photo d’archives) Coquerelles, nourriture avariée, résidents abandonnés sur des matelas à même le sol : le rapport des Forces armées canadiennes sur les cinq centres de soins de longue durée de […]

Military report finds gruesome conditions, abuse inside 5 Ontario long-term care homes

(May 26, 2020) By: Emma McIntosh, News Politics Editor’s Note: The following article contains graphic descriptions of conditions inside long-term care facilities. Rooms infested with cockroaches and contaminated with feces. Patients force-fed to the point of choking. Staff afraid to use vital supplies and personal protective equipment “because they cost money.” People with COVID-19 allowed to wander […]

Abusive behaviour, cockroaches, force feedings documented by military in Ontario long-term care homes

(May 26, 2020) By: Victoria Gibson, iPolitics A person who appears to be a staff member looks out of a resident’s window at Eatonville in Etobicoke. April 14 2020. Richard Lautens/Toronto Star Military members deployed to Ontario long-term care homes have blown a whistle on harrowing conditions inside five particularly hard-hit facilities — going beyond […]

Military teams raise concerns about conditions at Ontario care homes

(May 26, 2020) By: Mercedes Stephenson, Stewart Bell and Andrew Russell, Global News Military personnel sent to nursing homes in Ontario have observed shocking conditions, including “blatant disregard” for infection control measures, mistreatment of residents and a level of care described as “horrible,” according to documents obtained by Global News. Canadian Armed Forces teams deployed to five of the […]

Profits before people?; Probe into LTC system must be free from vested interests

(May 25, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Winnipeg Sun (Print Edition) When Ontario Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton announced an independent commission into care homes a week ago, the question on the minds of many advocates and families who’ve lost loved ones has been whether it will truly be free of influence by deeppocketed vested interests. […]

LEVY: Long-term care home probe must truly be independent

(May 25, 2020) By: Dennis Leung, Ottawa Sun When provincial long-term care minister Merrilee Fullerton announced an independent commission into long-term care homes a week ago, the question on the minds of many advocates and families who’ve lost loved ones has been whether it will truly be free of influence by deep-pocketed vested interests. Fullerton […]

LEVY: Long-term care home probe must truly be independent

(May 24, 2020) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun When provincial long-term care minister Merrilee Fullerton announced an independent commission into long-term care homes a week ago, the question on the minds of many advocates and families who’ve lost loved ones has been whether it will truly be free of influence by deep-pocketed vested interests. Fullerton […]

‘A failed venture’: Unifor president says Canada needs better long-term care system

(May 24, 2020) By: Beatrice Britneff, Global News After witnessing the devastating impact of the novel coronavirus on many long-term care homes and its staff, the president of Canada’s largest private sector union says the country needs “a better system than we have today.” “Hopefully governments will wake up and will now say: ‘Look this was a failed venture, we’d […]

Niagara Falls MPP says province falls short in providing PPE for health care workers

(May 22, 2020) By: Ray Spiteri, The Niagara Falls Review Health Coalition executive says situation is improving but there is still a need for more Wayne Gates is calling on the province to do more to protect front line health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Niagara Falls New Democrat MPP was at Queen’s Park […]

We need a public inquiry into the ongoing long-term care catastrophe

(May 22, 2020) By: hamiltonnews.com More must be done to fix long-term care, writes Monique Taylor Our long-term care system is failing Ontario’s seniors and the workers that support them. Since this pandemic began, more than 4,400 residents and staff at Ontario long-term care homes have contracted COVID-19. Of Ontario’s approximately 2,000 deaths, 1,400 have […]

Bobcaygeon nursing home only the first of COVID-19 outbreaks

(April 24, 2020) By: MyKawartha.com After spending weeks in what some staff described as a ‘war zone’, Pinecrest Nursing Home is finally gaining a foothold in its COVID-19 outbreak. Between the time the outbreak was declared on March 20 and April 9, 29 of the Bobcaygeon long-term care home’s 65 residents died as a result […]

Long-term-care conditions reflect our priorities as a society

(April 25, 2020) By: The Star The media keeps repeating that successive governments are to blame for the appalling circumstances in our long-term-care homes, as these conditions are brutally exposed by a pandemic. Our government’s actions are only a reflection of what we, the voters, believe important. And what we don’t find important. We allow […]

How the pandemic would have been different if PSWs were regulated

(May 21, 2020) By: Laura Bulmer, Macleans Before COVID-19, we did not have enough personal support workers in Canada. This life-threatening shortage is the result of long-ignored retention and recruitment obstacles. According to Miranda Ferrier, president of the Ontario Personal Support Worker Association, a 2017 survey of PSWs revealed the workforce is diminishing at an alarming […]

COVID-19: Inquiry Ordered Into Long-Term Care (Interview)

(May 20, 2020) By: 88.9 RED FM Toronto On Good Morning Toronto, host Shameel Jasvir speaks with Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition on Ford government’s announcement supporting an independent commission/inquiry into long-term care. Click here for original audio

Dan MacDonald Show – Ontario is launching an independent commission in September into the province’s long-term care system

(May 20, 2020) By: The Dan MacDonald Show, iHeartRadio AM800 Natalie Mehra, the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, discusses the independent commission into long-term care recently announced by the provincial government and highlights what actions need to be taken both now and in the future to improve Ontario’s long-term care system. Click here […]

Advocacy group calling for investigation into long-term care facilities

(May 20, 2020) By: Matt Dionne, inbrampton The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) is calling for an independent inquiry into the operation of the province’s long-term care facilities. After Premier Doug Ford announced he would support such an investigation, the OHC is calling for the commission into long-term care to be under the public inquiries act and fully independent […]

Radio interview on the crisis in Ontario long term care homes

(May 20, 2020) By: The Craig Needles Show, Global News Radio Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of Ontario Health Coalition, talks about the crisis in Ontario long term care homes and what needs to change to make them a safer environment for the future. Click here for original video

Ontario Launches Commission Into Long-Term Care

(May 20, 2020) Analysis Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra speaks to CTV News about the recently announced commission on long-term care in Ontario. Click here for original video

Coronavirus: Ford government announces commission to examine long-term care in Ontario

(May 19, 2020) By: Morganne Campbell, Global News The Ford government is deploying a non-partisan commission to examine what went wrong during COVID-19 outbreaks in Ontario long-term care homes. More than 1,400 residents died after contracting the virus. Morganne Campbell reports. Click here for the video interview

What happened to the hospital patients who had ‘nowhere else to go’?

(May 18, 2020) By: Barbara Sibbald, Canadian Medical Association Journal The rush to clear Canadian hospital beds to make room for COVID-19 cases has meant finding places to send thousands of patients who no longer need acute care but previously had nowhere else to go. Delays in discharging patients who need an alternate level of […]

It’s time to listen to PSWs and front-line workers

(May 15, 2020) By: Terry Martin, Sudury.com Once again, the provincial government has left front-line workers in long-term care (LTC) homes to fend for themselves. The Ontario government set up the Ontario Long-Term Care Staffing Advisory Group to provide advice on how to deal with the chronic shortage of PSWs in Long-Term Care homes. One […]

Critics say mandatory COVID-19 testing should include retirement homes as well

(May 15, 2020) By: CBC Sudbury Under a current provincial order, mandatory testing for COVID-19 is happening in long term care homes but not retirement homes. (CBC) As mandatory testing of all residents and staff in long term care facilities for COVID-19 continues in Ontario, health care critics say the same rules should apply to retirement […]

L’opposition demande un dépistage important dans les maisons de retraite

(May 15, 2020) By: Publié le, Radio-Canada Alors que le dépistage obligatoire de la COVID-19 se conclut dans les établissements de soins de longue durée en Ontario, des voix s’élèvent pour demander cette pratique dans les maisons de retraite. La province s’était engagée le 22 avril dernier à tester tout le personnel et les résidents des […]

Long-term care workers rally for end of for-profit homes

(May 15, 2020) By: Kim Champion, NewMarketToday Local long-term care workers and the union that represents them yesterday rallied together at Newmarket-Aurora MPP and Health Minister Christine Elliott’s office for a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the deaths of long-term care residents, frontline health workers. Local long-term care workers and the union that represents them yesterday […]

COVID-19: Chronology of the Long-Term Care Tragedy

(May 15, 2020) By: Russell Richer, Canada’s National Observer There is no excuse for the deaths at long-term care and hospital facilities. It was a preventable tragedy. Even a cursory look online illustrates that we could have minimized the deaths in the two most at-risk segments of our population: seniors with serious illnesses, and the […]

L’opposition demande un dépistage important dans les maisons de retraite

(May 15, 2020) By: Radio-Canada Alors que le dépistage obligatoire de la COVID-19 se conclut dans les établissements de soins de longue durée en Ontario, des voix s’élèvent pour demander cette pratique dans les maisons de retraite. La province s’était engagée le 22 avril dernier à tester tout le personnel et les résidents des centres de […]

COVID-19 death toll risen by 333 per cent in health care facilities: report

(May 14, 2020) By: Matt Dionne, InBrampton While the spread of COVID-19 has been trending down in Ontario, cases are still on the rise in congregate care settings. A report from the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) has found the number of outbreaks in health care settings—including hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes, public health units and clinics—has nearly doubled. According […]

Big changes are needed in long-term care homes

(May 13, 2020) By: Luisa D’Amato, TheRecord.com (Metroland Media Group) In a national crisis, we look for a strong centralized government that can make things happen quickly. Nothing else is big enough to do the job. Perhaps that’s why the calls for a full government inquiry into the state of long-term care homes for the elderly seem […]

Updated: Pioneer Manor provides an update on COVID-19

(May 13, 2020) By: Sudbury.com Analysis A report released today from the Ontario Health Coalition tracks data regarding COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care homes in Ontario. The stats are sobering: 436 deaths, 3,783 infections and 80 large outbreaks. Of course, these statistics are simply a snapshot in time. The pandemic is far from over. This week, […]

Analysis: Can COVID-19 show us how to fix Scarborough nursing homes?

(May 13, 2020) By: Mike Adler, Toronto.com Altamont Care Community in Scarborough have five COVID-19 related deaths. – Dan Pearce/Torstar We failed to protect seniors in long-term care from the coronavirus, and we failed to protect Christine Mandegarian and other nursing home staff. So, what should the people of Ontario do when the pandemic ends? The […]

PANDEMIC #4- Ontario Reaps its Dividends

(May 13, 2020) By: Canada Land Show Download Over 1700 Ontarians have already been killed by COVID-19. And the vast majority of them died in long-term care. But if you live in a private, for-profit home, you’re much more likely to die from this virus. The for-profit long-term care industry is politically powerful and deeply […]

Sudbury letter: Plight of PSWs ignored

(May 12, 2020) By: Terry Martyn, Sudbury Star Once again, the provincial government has left front-line workers in long-term care (LTC) homes to fend for themselves. The Ontario government set up the Ontario Long-Term Care Staffing Advisory Group to provide advice on how to deal with the chronic shortage of personal support workers in long-term care homes. […]

Inquiry on long-term care covid-19 deaths

(May 11, 2020) By: The Bill Kelly Show, Global News Radio 900 CHML Should there be an inquiry into the deaths at long-term care homes? Demands for an inquiry continue to rise and the Ontario government has asked the hardest hit homes to come up with plans to stem the spread of the virus. Ontario […]

Ontario’s call to Ottawa for long-term care support doesn’t aim to reduce private ownership: Ford’s office

(May 11, 2020) By: Victoria Gibson, IPolitics Premier Doug Ford at his daily COVID-19 press conference, at Queen’s Park in Toronto. May 5, 2020. Steve Russell/Toronto Star Internal talks between the Ford and Trudeau governments over supports for the long-term care sector have not included the aim of reducing for-profit facilities, the premier’s office says — as […]

Improvements needed industrywide, not just in for-profit seniors homes: Health coalition

(May 10, 2020) By: Allan Benner, Niagara Falls Review A Niagara-based long-term care advocacy group says industrywide improvements need to be implemented to protect all residents, after a scathing Ontario Health Coalition report focused on the COVID-19 death rate at for-profit facilities. “The problem is OHC (Ontario Health Coalition) is pointing their finger across the […]

No easy fix for long term care home problems highlighted by COVID-19

(May 9, 2020) By: Laura Osman, CHEK News Canada can’t go back to paying care home workers minimum wage after the pandemic is over, says the president of the Canadian Labour Congress. For years, those living and working in nursing and retirement homes across the country have struggled as overburdened caregivers tried to maintain a […]

Editorial: A long-term care review is badly needed. Let’s do it right

(May 9, 2020) By: Donald Macdonald, Sudbury Star Long-term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton says Ontario will “review” its system of looking after the frail and elderly. This is overdue, given the staggering proportion of COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents. It should not have taken courageous families and front-line workers talking to media about conditions […]

COVID-19: Why are dying seniors not being taken to hospital?

(May 9, 2020) By: Joanna Frketich, The Hamilton Spectator Questions are being raised by unions and advocacy groups about why Ontario seniors with COVID-19 are not being sent to hospitals from long-term care and retirement homes struggling with outbreaks. “I have been really concerned about this,” said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. “The […]

Editorial: A long-term care review is badly needed. Let’s do it right

(May 9, 2020) Ottawa Citizen Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, minister of Long-term Care, has a big job on her hands given the state of Ontario’s elder care. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia Long-term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton says Ontario will “review” its system of looking after the frail and elderly. This is overdue, given the staggering […]

Coronavirus: No easy fix for problems in Canada’s nursing, retirement homes

(May 9, 2020) By: Laura Osman, Global News For years, those living and working in nursing and retirement homes across the country have struggled as overburdened caregivers tried to maintain a basic level of care and dignity for aging and ailing Canadians. It happened behind closed doors, said Carole Estabrooks, a professor in the faculty […]

Death rate among long-term care homes higher in for-profit facilities

(May 8, 2020) By: Matt Dionne, InBrampton The death rate for those who contract COVID-19 in long-term care facilities is higher in for-profit compared to non-profit and publicly-owned homes. According to a study from the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the number of deaths related to the virus is significantly higher in for-profit homes compared to non-profit and […]

Ontario records another 459 COVID-19 cases, 44 deaths

(May 8, 2020) By: Rob Ferguson, DurhamRegion.com (Metroland Media Group) A Star compilation of data from regional health units at 11 a.m. Friday showed an increase of 44 deaths in the previous 24 hours. – Shutterstock photo The COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario has now claimed almost 1,600 lives, a number eight times higher than it was a […]

For-profit nursing homes have four times as many COVID-19 deaths as city-run homes, Star analysis finds

(May 8, 2020) By: Marco Chown Oved, Brendan Kennedy, Kenyon Wallace, Ed Tubb and Andrew Bailey, DurhamRegion.com (Metroland Media Group) Overall, for-profit homes make up less than 60 per cent of long-term care homes in the province, but they account for 16 of the 20 worst outbreaks. – Richard Lautens / Toronto Star Residents of for-profit nursing […]

PSW draws attention to ‘burnt out’ staff as COVID-19 compounds long-term care crisis

(May 8, 2020) By: Adam Jacobson, CBC Radio A personal support worker (PSW) with over a decade of experience says she and her colleagues are “afraid,” “frustrated” and “tired” as the coronavirus pandemic exacerbates existing problems related to working conditions inside Ontario’s long-term care facilities. Susan, a PSW who CBC Radio has given a pseudonym […]

‘Staff crisis remains critical’: Health-care unions about coronavirus working conditions

(May 8, 2020) By: Marta Marychuk, Brampton Guardian Employees from hospitals and long-term care homes represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees held a workplace action Wednesday, May 6, to protest the lack of protection and call on Ontario’s premier for help. The peaceful protest, which also included home-care nurses, personal support workers, cleaners […]