News + Events

Millions in taxpayer dollars earmarked for Ontario LTC company that allegedly left residents malnourished

(October 26, 2021) By: Miriam Katawazi, CTV News Toronto Multi-Platform Writer TORONTO — The Doug Ford government says it has allocated hundreds of beds to the Ontario for-profit long-term care chains at the centre of a military report that shocked the nation more than a year ago with details of horrifying conditions and neglect. Sienna […]

Ontario long-term care company accused of leaving residents ‘soiled in diapers’ will get millions for new beds

(October 25, 2021) By: Miriam Katawazi, CTV News Toronto Multi-Platform Writer TORONTO — The Doug Ford government says it has allocated hundreds of beds to the Ontario for-profit long-term care chains at the centre of a military report that shocked the nation more than a year ago with details of horrifying conditions and neglect. Southbridge […]

RELEASE: Coalition Responds to Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips’ Announcement Cutting Through the PR: No Commitment to Reinstate Annual Comprehensive Inspections

(October 26, 2021) Toronto – It has been a year-and-a-half since CBC exposed that the Ford government cancelled the annual surprise inspections of long-term care homes after it took office in 2018 and 17 months since Premier Ford promised to reinstate those comprehensive inspections. Yet today’s announcement from the Ford government’s Long-Term Care Minister Rod […]

EVENT: OHC Long-Term Care Protest Round Up – Pics & Summaries from Across Ontario!

(October 19, 2021) Ontario Health Coalition’s Long-Term Care Protest Round Up Pictures & Summaries from our Day of Action Across the Province on October 4 “Enough Suffering, Care Can’t Wait!”– the slogan rang out in town after town across Ontario. More than a thousand concerned citizens gathered outside MPPs Offices, City Halls, Parks and busy […]

Oxford Health Coalition calls on government for improvements to long-term care

(October 14, 2021) By: Barbara Geernaert Health-care advocates protested outside Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman’s Woodstock office last week, calling for better conditions in the province’s long-term care homes. The Oct. 4 protest, organized by the Oxford Health Coalition, was one of many similar rallies organized across the province by chapters of the Ontario Health Coalition. […]

Réforme des soins de longue durée : une association présente ses recommandations

(October 14, 2021) By: Stella Dupuy, Radio-Canada L’Association des soins de longue durée de l’Ontario (OLTCA) a présenté jeudi ses recommandations pour améliorer le système des soins de longue durée et le rendre plus transparent et redevable à l’égard des patients. Celles-ci surviennent alors que le ministre des Soins de longue durée, Rod Phillips, promet […]

Ontario government to build two long-term-care facilities in Oakville

(October 13, 2021) By: Mansoor Tanweer, Oakville Beaver Ontario Minister of Long-Term Care Rod Phillips, riding counterparts, Mayor Rob Burton and various health-care executives were on hand to announce the creation of two long-term-care (LTC) facilities in Oakville. The proposed facilities are expected to house 640 residents and will provide “culturally appropriate” services to the […]

‘Helpless and hopeless’: Front-line workers talk long-term care during COVID-19

(October 8, 2021) By: Julie Ireton, CBC News Crescencio Resendiz, a personal support worker for a Revera-run home, has not been back to work since contracting COVID-19 in January 2021. (Julie Ireton/CBC) As the Ontario government steps up efforts to recruit more long-term care workers, some current and former staff members say they’re still struggling […]

Field visits by phone, locked-up PPE flagged by nursing home staff in 1st wave, documents show

(October 7, 2021) By: Julie Ireton, CBC News Anaya Toelly, Stephanie Kocielski and Betty Yakimenko have family members at Madonna Care Community in Orleans, Ont., which experienced a COVID-19 outbreak early in the pandemic. They recently attended a rally in Ottawa to raise awareness about a number of issues with the long-term care system. (Jean […]

“Rise Up For Long-Term Care” Rallies Call for Government Action to Protect Seniors in Care

(October 5, 2021) By: Workers’ Forum Online Supplement of the Marxist-Leninist Queen’s Park, October 4, 2021 Rallies were held in 18 Ontario cities, including at Queen’s Park on October 4, the first day of the fall sitting of the Ontario Provincial Legislature. Organized by the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the aim of the “Rise Up […]

Protesters rally to tell premier long-term care has to be not-for-profit

(October 5, 2021) By: Ian Campbell, CTV News Northern Ontario Analysis SUDBURY – A small crowd gathered at Sudbury’s Civic Cemetery on Monday calling on Premier Doug Ford to take the profit out of long-term care in the province. “We’re here to demand immediate action to fast track improving healthcare to four hours of care, […]

Understaffed long-term care homes nothing new: Retired PSWs

(October 5, 2021) By: Ellwood Shreve, Sentinel Review Woodstock Retired personal support workers Julie Dorner (left) and Kim Brown spoke about the shortage of workers in long-term care homes that has been going on long before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, during a protest by the Chatham-Kent chapter of the Ontario Health Coalition in front of […]

Health Coalition Urges Ontario Government To Act On Promised Improvements To Long Term Care

(October 5, 2021) By: Pamela Vanmeer, Kawartha 411 KAWARTHA LAKES-The Kawartha Lakes Health Coalition held a long-term care protest at Laurie Scott’s office on Monday in conjunction with Ontario Health Coalition’s province-wide protest. More than 4,000 residents living in Long Term Care died from Coronavirus, many more from related illnesses according to the coalition. They […]

Ontario Health Coalition holds province-wide protests, decries state of long-term care

(October 4, 2021) By: Darryn Davis, Global News Protestors calling on the provincial government to do more to improve Long Term Care in Ontario. Global Kingston On the same day as the Ontario government’s throne speech, about 50 protesters set up at the high-density traffic intersection of Princess and Concession streets. The protest, organized by the […]

‘We have not forgotten’: Ontario Health Coalition continuing call for long-term care home reforms

(October 4, 2021) By: Sawyer Bogdan, Global News Around 17 people gathered outside MPP, Jeff Yurek’s office in St. Thomas to advocate for changes to long-term care on Oct. 4, 2021. Andrew Graham / Global News The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) is advocating for better standards in long-term care and an end to for-profit homes […]

‘This isn’t working’

(October 4, 2021) By: Colleen Romaniuk, Cochrane Times Post Alessandro Presenza, of Hands of Hope, makes a point at a rally organized by the Sudbury chapter of the Ontario Health Coalition on Monday. PHOTO BY JOHN LAPPA/SUDBURY STAR The Sudbury branch of the Ontario Health Coalition held a protest Monday to demand immediate action from the […]

Oakville residents take part in provincewide rally for long-term care

(October 4, 2021) By: Mansoor Tanweer, The Star Some 50 Oakville residents took to the streets to raise awareness about the ongoing long-term-care crisis in the province. “Our goal is to make the public aware that the situation … it’s still a very important issue and conditions have not improved in long-term care,” said Anne […]

Protesters call for improved long-term care

(October 4, 2021) By: CTV News Kitchener Analysis On October 4, the Waterloo Health Coalition joined forces with local health coalitions across Ontario to hold a protest on the opening day of the legislature to protest the Ford government’s total failure to get care levels up to anything safe or acceptable in long-term care. Click here […]

Two separate protests outside Queen’s Park as MPPs return for new legislative session

(October 4, 2021) By: Mike Walker, CTV News Toronto Analysis TORONTO — Calls for long-term care reform, as well as better wages for nurses, echoed outside the Queen’s Park on Monday during two separate protests as MPP’s returned to work for the start of a new legislative session. As the Ford government delivered it’s throne […]

OHC Increasing Calls For Better LTC

(October 4, 2021) By: CKXS 99.1 FM Even though he is no longer a member of the governing Tory caucus, Rick Nicholls will be the target of a protest today. The Ontario Health Coalition is looking to keep pressure on the Ford government’s handling of the long term health care industry. The group is calling […]

COVID-19: Ottawa reports 31 new cases; any new pandemic measures would be localized and targeted, says throne speech

(October 4, 2021) By: Taylor Blewett, Ottawa Citizen The ultimate goal, according to the throne speech delivered in the legislative chamber Monday, is “avoiding future lockdowns.” File photo/ Proof of vaccination required to enter a restaurant. PHOTO BY MARIO TAMA /Getty Images Ontario MPPs are back at Queen’s Park, the province is heading into a winter when […]

Protesters fight for more Long Term Care Home support

(October 4, 2021) By: Chris Dawson, Bay Today A small group of about a dozen protesters gathered outside Vic Fedeli’s constituency office to express their concern over long-term care in Ontario. Henri Giroux, president of the North Bay & District Labour Council, led the North Bay event, which is one of a number of organized protests […]

Protest calls for greater accountability in long-term care

(October 4, 2021) By: Jennifer Hamilton-McCharles, Northern News Henri Giroux, a member of the North Bay Health Coalition, speaks to media and supporters during a small rally, Monday, outside Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli’s office. Jennifer Hamilton-McCharles/The Nugget COVID-19 opened the country’s eyes to the problems in long-term care homes, but those problems have been there […]

Ontario Health Coalition’s Cornwall chapter not happy with state of LTCs

(October 4, 2021) By: Francis Racine, Gananoque Reporter About 40 protesters came together on Monday in front of MPP Jim McDonell’s office in order to demand change in the long-term care sector Photo taken on Monday October 4, 2021 in Cornwall, Ont. Francis Racine/Cornwall Standard-Freeholder/Postmedia Network PHOTO BY FRANCIS RACINE /Francis Racine/Standard-Freeholder This article was edited in […]

Health watchdog uses throne speech to call for immediate improvements in long-term care

(October 4, 2021) By: Brian Bicknell, CTV News London ST. THOMAS, ONT. – A provincial health care watchdog used the occasion of Monday’s Ontario government throne speech to point out what it says are deficiencies in the long-term care system. The Ontario Health Coalition held demonstrations outside MPP offices across the province Monday, including PC […]

NATALIE MEHRA – ONTARIO HEALTH COALITION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR INTERVIEW WITH MATT HOLMES NEWSTALK 610

(October 3, 2021) By: Matt Holmes, Newstalk 610 CKTB Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra speaks to Matt Holmes of Newstalk 610 CKTB about recent long-term care announcements, the current state of long-term care and the upcoming protests being held across the province. Click here for audio interview

Long-term care protest Monday in Sudbury

(October 3, 2021) By: The Sudbury Star Photo illustration. PHOTO BY TONY CALDWELL /POSTMEDIA NETWORK Saying the Ford government has failed to address concerns about long-term care, the Ontario Health Coalition is calling for cross-province protests on Monday when the Ontario Legislature is scheduled to open. In Sudbury, that protest is scheduled for the front gate of […]

PROVINCE MAKING VACCINES MANDATORY FOR LONG-TERM CARE STAFF

(October 1, 2021) By: Brett Glover, Barrie360 COVID-19 vaccines will soon be mandatory in all long-term care homes across Ontario. Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips announced on Friday that vaccines will be mandatory for all in-home staff, support workers, students, and volunteers within long-term care homes by November 15, unless there is a valid medical […]

BLOG: If we do not protest that nothing has changed in long-term care, who are we as a society?

posted October 1, 2021

(October 1, 2021) It has been more than a year since the military report exposed, to the horror of Canadians, the state of Ontario’s long-term care (LTC). The report lent credence to decades of work by the Ontario Health Coalition exposing insufficient care, safety issues and lack of accountability. Despite massive media coverage through the pandemic, and despite promises […]

EVENT: Let’s Make it HUGE: Cross-Province on October 4, 12 pm RISE UP for LTC!

ONE WEEK AWAY #RiseupforLTC Monday October 4, 12 p.m. CROSS-ONTARIO LONG-TERM CARE PROTESTS NO MORE SUBSTANDARD CARE As the Ontario Legislature opens on October 4, let’s set the message for the next session. No more broken promises. No more substandard care. We demand real action now! With the new opening date of the legislature […]

CBC Radio’s All in a Day with Alan Neal and the Ottawa Health Coalition

(September 13, 2021) By: Alan Neal, CBC Radio CBC Radio’s All In A Day invited two active members of the Ottawa Health Coalition to identify what they want candidates to address about long term care in this election? With her mom currently in LTC, Betty Yakimenko (4:24 mark) identifies staffing shortages, poor wages and lack of […]

BRAUN: Families fight licence renewal for Orchard Villa LTC home

(September 6, 2021) By: Liz Braun, Toronto Sun Diane Colangelo visits her 86-year-old mother Patricia through a window at the Orchard Villa long-term care home in Pickering. PHOTO BY VERONICA HENRI /Toronto Sun/Postmedia Orchard Villa is the hellhole nursing home in Pickering where 70 residents died of COVID-19. Families of Orchard Villa were justifiably horrified to learn […]

Private or public? Advocate urges candidates to support public long-term care system

(September 3, 2021) By: Tyler Clarke, Sudbury.com Reporter Advocating for stronger public services, Dot Klein attended Tuesday’s all-candidates debate at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 76 to see which federal candidates are on board. Klein has been working as a registered nurse for 57 years and is co-chair of the Sudbury chapter of the Ontario Health […]

Fight against license extension for Orchard Villa in Pickering continues

(September 1, 2021) By: Durham Radio News The company that owns the Orchard Villa long-term care home in Pickering is applying for a license extension. The proposal is for a new 30-year license to rebuild and an 87-bed expansion to Southbridge, the for-profit long-term care home operator. News of the license renewal has been met […]

Election debate on seniors issues in Sudbury

(August 31, 2021) By: Alana Everson, CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca Videojournalist Sudbury – Issues facing seniors in the Sept. 20 federal election were the focus of a debate in Sudbury Tuesday. The groups CARP and Friendly to Seniors Sudbury hosted the event. “Both are advocacy groups for seniors and, as most of us know, there are more seniors […]

RELEASE: “Unreasonable and Contrary to Law”: Legal Opinion on New 30-Year License & Expansion at For-Profit LTC Orchard Villa Coalition & Families Call on Ford Government to Respond

(September 1, 2021) Toronto/Durham: The Ontario Health Coalition was joined by The Families of Orchard Villa today demanding a response from the Ford government regarding their opposition to a proposal to give a new 30-year license to rebuild and an 87-bed expansion to Southbridge, the for-profit long-term care home operator of the 233-bed home whose […]

LEGAL OPINION: Proposal from Southbridge Care Homes Inc. re Orchard Villa in Pickering, Ontario

(September 1, 2021) Click here for full legal opinion. A summary of the legal opinion can be found below. Click here for press conference releasing the legal opinion. Click here for media release. The Ministry of Long-Term Care is reviewing a proposal from Southbridge Care Homes Inc. (“Southbridge”) for a 30-year license to redevelop, expand […]

‘There is just so much wrong’: Penetanguishene residents upset with state of long-term-care homes in Ontario

(August 25, 2021) By: Andrew Mendler, Midland Mirror Reporter Don Copping and Fran Moreau are frustrated over the province’s handling of long-term-care homes and say the system needs to change. The two Penetanguishene residents will be heading down to Queen’s Park on Sept. 13 to join a protest of Ontario’s long-term-care homes organized by the […]

Letter to the editor: Healthcare funding with strings attached

(August 23, 2021) By: Ben Lefebvre, BayToday We must demand that the next federal government commit to implementing national standards for long-term care across Canada. This would require providing adequate funding levels to the provinces in order to leverage the cooperation required to protect our most vulnerable population, our seniors. The provinces, in turn, must […]

Revera could lay off PSWs and RPNs at Hallowell House despite pandemic

(August 23, 2021) By: Sue Capon, County Live By Sue Capon The sound of horns blaring in support of workers holding an information picket near Hallowell House nursing home Monday was almost deafening at times, as they stood in blazing heat and humidity protesting expected layoffs in the pipeline. Staff hailed as heroes during the […]

Doug Ford’s Government Wants to Privatize Parts of the Health Care System To Reduce COVID-19 Surgical Backlog

(August 19, 2021) By: PressProgress The Ford government’s plan to help Ontario’s hospitals clear their surgery backlog involves further privatizing parts of the province’s health care system. One of the Ford government’s consistent responses to COVID-19 has included measures aimed at saving space in Ontario’s long-underfunded hospitals by cancelling “non-essential” or elective surgical procedures. After […]

Head of Alberta Health Coalition says, “Prime Minister Trudeau has repeatedly made empty promises”

(August 19, 2021) By: NetNewsLedger Health Coalitions across Canada are putting all federal political parties on notice. The federal government could have already set real national standards for long-term care in legislation or an emergency federal-provincial-territorial funding accord with sufficient funding attached to leverage real change. Instead, nothing has happened. Canadians expect all political parties […]

Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra Interview with Dave Glover of Northumberland 89.7

(August 18, 2021) By: Drive Time with Dave Glover, Northumberland 89.7 FM radio Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra spoke with Northumberland 89.7 FM radio’s Dave Glover about health care and long-term care in Ontario, as well as the upcoming election. Click here for full interview

Harris addresses for-profit long-term care, tees off on federal oversight

(August 18, 2021) By: Stu Campaigne, BayToday News Reporter CALLANDER, Ont. — As is tradition, Mike Harris helped tee off the 23rd Annual Osprey Links Charity Golf Gala, Wednesday, and took a few minutes before heading out on the course to share his views on a few hot-button subjects, including the state of long-term care. Harris […]

RELEASE: Provincial Health Coalitions Put Federal Parties on Notice: Canadians Demand Real Action to Fix Long-Term Care

(August 19, 2021) (Canada-wide) – With a federal election called for September 20, provincial Health Coalitions across Canada are putting all federal political parties on notice. The federal government could have already set real national standards for long-term care in legislation or an emergency federal-provincial-territorial funding accord with sufficient funding attached to leverage real change. […]

Tilbury Manor worth saving

(August 4, 2021) By: The Chatham Voice Editor: The private, for-profit business that owns the Tilbury Manor LTC has received a new 30-year licence and permission to move the 75-bed home from Tilbury to Belle River, where another 80 new beds will be added. Permission was granted by the Ontario government. Ford’s government has been […]

Coverage of Southwest Ontario Health Coalitions Press Conference – CTV News London at 6

(July 29, 2021) By: CTV News London The Ontario government has been quietly awarding new 30-year licenses and thousands of new and rebuilt bed allotments to long-term care homes. The majority of licenses have gone to for-profit, private homes rather than public, non-profit homes despite the woeful record of the for-profit long-term care industry during […]

‘It’s changed how I live my life’: Grace Villa worker still recovering months after COVID landed her in ICU

(July 28, 2021) By: Maria Iqbal, The Hamilton Spectator Union calls for help In Ontario, more than 7,200 COVID-19 cases have appeared in health-care workers linked to long-term care from Jan. 15, 2020, to July 26, 2021. Ten have died. But that’s not the full story. “One of the untold stories of the pandemic is […]

Ontario Health Coalition calling for more consultation about proposed licence renewal at Orchard Villa

(July 27, 2021) By: DurhamRadioNews.com The Ontario Health Coalition has sent an open letter to Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips, calling for more public consultations on the proposed 30-year licence extension for Orchard Villa LTC home in Pickering. They say officials have neglected to consider the track record of the home’s operator, Southbridge Care Homes, […]

Families fight against licence renewal for LTC home that saw one of worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Ontario

(July 27, 2021) By: CBC News, with files from Talia Ricci The Ontario government is considering renewing the licence for a for-profit long-term care home that saw one of the worst outbreaks in the province and was the subject of a scathing military report in 2020. The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care held […]

OPEN LETTER: Ontario Health Coalition Open Letter to LTC Minister Rod Phillips On For-Profit LTC Home Orchard Villa

(July 27, 2021) Hon. Rod Phillips Minister of Long-Term Care Room 436 Main Legislative Building, Queen’s Park Toronto, ON M7A 1A8 By email: rod.phillips@pc.ola.org Dear Minister Rod Phillips, We are writing today to urgently insist that you extend the deadline for the decision regarding the issuance of a new license and expansion to for-profit […]

Kingston Health Coalition calls on Ford to ‘correct critical condition’ in LTC

(July 23, 2021) By: Yona Harvey, Kingstonist About a dozen demonstrators gathered at the corner of Sir John A. Macdonald and Princess streets Thursday, Jul. 22, 2021 to raise awareness of the “critical condition” in long-term care (LTC) homes. “The Ford government has to take firm action to correct the critical condition [in long-term care […]

‘Super fishy’: Donations linked to developer topped $50,000 ahead of Ford fundraiser

(July 16, 2021) By: Jessica Smith Cross, QP Briefing Records of donations to the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario last month show the party benefited from what appears to be more than $50,000 in contributions linked to a single developer, in tickets to a single fundraiser. It’s a revelation that an opposition critic is calling […]

‘Devastating to watch’: Private long-term-care homes have seen some of Ontario’s worst death rates – but Doug Ford’s new funding set them up for decades of profits

(July 15, 2021) By: Richard Warnica, Toronto Star “Every public policy decision that has been made during the pandemic aligns w/ the interests of the for-profit LTC industry.” – Exec dir Natalie Mehra Click here for original article (Note: accessible only to Toronto Star subscribers)

‘No senior deserves to be neglected like my mother’: Families rally against Orchard Villa license renewal, expansion

(July 15, 2021) By: Reka Szekely, DurhamRegion.com Under a hot sun, families impacted by a devastating COVID-19 outbreak at Pickering’s Orchard Villa Long Term Care home made an impassioned case that the nursing home should not be eligible for license extension or additional beds. Roughly 100 people attended a July 14 protest outside the facility […]

They were the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic: So how did Ontario’s for-profit long-term-care homes manage to secure so many of their business goals?

(July 15, 2021) By: Richard Warnica As part of a series on how businesses have swayed the decisions made by the Ford government during the COVID-19 crisis, the Star created a database of every active lobbying registration in Ontario in March 2021, a year into the pandemic. The results revealed a clear pattern. Among the […]

CBC Toronto News July 14, 2021

(July 14, 2021) By: Lorenda Reddekopp, CBC News Heartbreaking stories were told at the Ontario Health Coalition’s Orchard Villa protest. “She was dehydrated, scared, could barely get to the window. We brought her in here at 105 lbs and she passed away at 68 lbs.” – Diane Colangelo, whose mother was a resident. Cathy Parkes, […]

Protest over long-term care home licence renewal

(July 14, 2021) By: City News “The conditions were beyond what is morally acceptable on any level in our society & we just can’t believe that the Ford gov’t would consider giving a new license & expansion to this for-profit #LTC home.” – Exec dir Natalie Mehra at yesterday’s protest Click here for video coverage

Protestors cry “shame” outside Pickering’s Orchard Villa, call for denial of licence renewal

(July 14, 2021) By: Durham Radio News “She got COVID on April 19. She tested negative 2 or 3 weeks later, but with the effects of COVID, the dehydration & the neglect altogether she never sustained normal life again.” – Sherri Zielinski, who lost her mother in Orchard Villa. Click here for original article

Dozens protest expansion of Orchard Villa LTC

(July 14, 2021) By: CP24 “The province has to set the tone and support [non-profits] to build & re-build #LTC homes.” – Exec dir Natalie Mehra on what needs to be done in LTC moving forward. CP24 Evening: Continued coverage of the Orchard Villa protest and a discussion with Ontario Health Coalition board member Dr. […]

Protesters call on government to deny licence extension for notorious long-term care home

(July 14, 2021) By: Jessica Smith Cross, QP Briefing The daughter of 86 yr old Patricia Crump described how her mom wasted away at Orchard Villa before her death & was last heard screaming into the phone for help. “Just screaming in pain with nobody to help her,” said Diane Colangelo. “Nobody to help her.” […]

BLOG: A personal note as I’m leaving to protest one of the worst LTC companies today

posted July 14, 2021

(July 14, 2021) After what we have seen in the last sixteen months, on a very personal level, I can’t let this happen without doing everything in my power to stop it. If you don’t mind, I thought I’d share a few thoughts with you. Quietly the Doug Ford government is proposing to give new 30-year […]

Protest against license renewal planned outside Pickering’s Orchard Villa

(July 13, 2021) By: DurhamRadioNews.com Activists and families are planning a protest near Orchard Villa, a Pickering long-term care home that was ravaged by COVID-19. On Wednesday at noon, protestors are expected outside the Valley Farm Road facility. The groups are opposed to the Ford government’s proposal to grant the home’s owners a 30-year license […]

Seniors in Ontario’s long-term care homes suffering from decades-old systemic failures

(July 12, 2021) By: Tamara Ugolini Since publishing my report on Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Ont., the response has been overwhelming. I knew that long-term care needed help, but I didn’t realize how tragic and deep-seated the issues are. What’s happening in long-term care is appalling. My continuing investigation is confirming what advocacy groups, like […]

EVENT: Large Crowd Expected to Protest Doug Ford’s Plans to Reward Orchard Villa Long-Term Care Home with Horrific Record a New 30-Year License & Expansion

(July 13, 2021) Click here for a petition to stop the plan to give a new 30-year license & an expansion of 87 more LTC beds to Orchard Villa. Pickering/Durham – Rain or shine, outraged families and community members will be outside Orchard Villa, a for-profit long-term care home in which more than 200 residents […]

Fight Back with Libby Znaimer: Henry Dundas, Home Care, & Going Back to Work

(July 8, 2021) ONTARIO NDP COMMITS TO CAREGIVER BENEFIT PROGRAM Libby Znaimer is joined by NDP MPP France Gélinas (Nickel-Belt) who is the critic for health, and Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition. In the news: the Ontario NDP says they would commit to a Caregiver Benefit Program. Andrea Horwath, the NDP […]

Grace Villa worker struggles with PTSD months after Hamilton’s worst COVID outbreak

(July 6, 2021) By: Maria Iqbal, Hamilton Spectator Reporter Grace Villa’s operator said the home did what it could to support staff and residents during this time. “With any issue or episode that has a dramatic impact on our staff, we got staff in as quickly as we could,” said Mary Raithby, CEO of APANS Health […]

Premier Doug Ford says ‘it’s a guarantee’ to keeping pay increase for personal support workers

(July 5, 2021) By: Holly McKenzie-Sutter, Canadian Press Reporter Ontario Premier Doug Ford promised Monday to maintain a wage increase brought in for personal support workers during the pandemic but didn’t say how or when his government would back up the pledge. The workers who staff long-term care homes and similar facilities were given a temporary […]

Doug Ford commits to making top-up pay permanent for Ontario PSWs

(July 5, 2021) By: Matthew Bingley, Global News In a push to recruit more personal support care workers, Premier Doug Ford said on Monday he is committed to making the $3 pandemic top-up for pay permanent. But advocates and his opposition critics say that isn’t enough to recruit enough new employees, and should’ve been done […]

Health coalitions disappointed by lack of action by MPPs regarding long-term-care crisis

(June 28, 2021) By: Catherine Whitnall, Peterborough Examiner Reporter When it comes to conditions in area long-term-care facilities, it’s not just a case of being in the same boat, but rather the same storm as those across the province. The information comes as no surprise to three local health coalitions that recently presented results from […]

Health Coalitions Survey LTC workers

(June 24, 2021) By: John Draper, Cobourg News Blog Reporter Three groups have teamed up to survey Long Term Care workers to uncover deficiencies. Using the results, they are now lobbying the Provincial Government to make improvements. Their Press Conference on Tuesday, June 22 was on Zoom and recorded on Facebook with the video plus […]

Peterborough Health Coalition critical of Ontario government’s handling of long-term-care

(June 23, 2021) By: Freq 90.5/Oldies 96.7 News Staff Brady says there’s a lot of problems from before COVID that are still unresolved, as well as new problems that came from the pandemic. Click here for accompanying video

Province’s response to LTC questions ‘pretty pathetic’ says local advocate

(June 23, 2021) By: Mike Baker, Haliburton Echo More than 600 Ontarians filled the virtual galleries of the Ontario Legislature for Question Period on May 18 to share their stories and demand improvements to long-term care, but Premier Doug Ford and Merrilee Fullerton, minister of long-term care, were nowhere to be found. “It was pretty […]

Peterborough-area health coalitions calling on province to fix issues with long-term care

(June 22, 2021) By: Mark Giunta, Global News Health Coalitions in Peterborough, Northumberland County and the City of Kawartha Lakes say long-term care (LTC) living conditions and staffing levels remain top issues in Ontario. The three coalitions commissioned a survey of LTC front-line workers in all three of the communities and released the findings in a virtual media conference on Tuesday. It found 70 […]

REPORT: Long-Term Care Survey Report Released by Kawartha Lakes Health Coalition, Northumberland Health Coalition, and the Peterborough Health Coalition

(June 22, 2021) Introduction We are here to discuss the problems in Long Term care because of an anonymous survey completed by front-line workers within Long-Term Care workplaces in Kawartha Lakes-Peterborough-Northumberland regions. Long-Term Care Homes is the term now used for nursing homes, charitable homes, and municipal homes for the aged. We are not talking […]

Occ-COVID-Science, Solutions & Success Stories

(April 23, 2021) By: Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc. Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra spoke to the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) to mark the losses during COVID-19 and to discuss the lessons from the pandemic. Speaking notes from the event can be found here Click here for speaking notes A […]

‘I left feeling incompetent’: Grace Villa nurse reveals why she resigned after Hamilton’s worst COVID-19 outbreak

(June 16, 2021) By: Maria Iqbal, Spectator Reporter The mental-health impact of COVID-19 on long-term-care staff is “one of the untold stories of the pandemic,” says the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. “The staffing levels are worse than ever,” said Natalie Mehra. “We continue to hear of staff leaving in significant numbers … just because they can’t […]

EVENT: MAKE REVERA PUBLIC – Building Our Momentum

(June 17, 2021) June 23 update: A recording of the Town Hall meeting can be found here. A virtual Town Hall Meeting Tuesday, June 22nd, 7:00pm – 8:30pm EDT. Register HERE Since it’s launch in May 2020, the campaign to ‘Make Revera Public’ has been growing and gaining strength. As Revera’s ownership by the federal […]

Join A Virtual Rally Against Ford Government’s Move to Muzzle Opposition

(June 13, 2021) By: Doug Draper, Niagara At Large “So Doug Ford wants to break the constitution to up his chances of winning an election & stifle his opposition. The only other time I have been this disgusted was when Ford passed Bill 218 last fall to shield the for-profit long-term care companies from liability […]

Advocates push for more air conditioning in long-term care as heat hits Ontario

(June 5, 2021) CBC News Staff, CBC News With temperatures set to soar above 30 C in areas of the province this weekend, advocates are once again sounding the alarm about sweltering conditions inside some of Ontario’s beleaguered long-term care homes. During a heat wave last July, homes were still reeling from the first wave of the […]

Northumberland Health Coalition calling on province to reform long-term care system

(June 4, 2021) By: Linda Mackenzie-Nicholas, Bonnie Kennedy, & Roy Brady, Northumberland News Chronic underfunding and privatization of health care have had an increasingly negative impact, particularly in long-term care, as has been made painfully obvious during COVID-19. Decades of underfunding, understaffing, poor working conditions, high levels of violence and a focus on profits over […]

Peterborough letter: End for-profit long-term-care, bring in paid sick time

(June 2, 2021) Roy Brady, Bonnie Kennedy, & Linda Mackenzie-Nicholas, The Peterborough Examiner We are writing to bring your attention to an extremely important issue that has been exacerbated by a pandemic that has changed everything. This issue has been around for a long time and much has been promised but not delivered — time […]

Whether it’s public or private, we’re all paying for long-term care. It should be better

(May 31, 2021) By: Martin Regg Cohn, Toronto Star We’ve long known that long-term care is ailing because politicians prefer short-term shortcuts. In a post-pandemic world, how do we get it right? A persuasive new study on nursing homes suggests a two-step program for reform: First, the obvious part: governments must allocate more money to […]

Brampton’s abandoned healthcare system: ‘Why do we have to suffer?’

(May 31, 2021) By: Vanessa Balintec, Natasha O’Neill, & Nida Zafar, The Pointer Sangita Sharma was woken by her husband gasping for air in their Brampton home at 2:30 in the morning in early January 2013. She was confused; her husband, Harjinder Kumar Sharma, was not sick. He had come home the day before from […]

Virtual rally to demand changes to Ontario’s long-term care system

(May 28, 2021) By: Mike Baker, The Echo Haliburton County Bonnie Roe has had enough. As one of the founding members of the Haliburton-City of Kawartha Lakes Long-Term Care Coalition, Roe has spent the past 12 months advocating for local seniors and calling for much-needed improvements to both public and privately operated long-term care facilities […]

Le Manitoba continue de s’appuyer sur le système hospitalier nord-ontarien

(May 27, 2021) By: Zacharie Routhier, Miguel Lachance, ICI Radio-Canada.ca Six patients manitobains atteints de la COVID-19 ont été transférés à l’hôpital régional de Thunder Bay. PHOTO : RADIO-CANADA / CAROLINE BOURDUA Submergé par la COVID-19, le Manitoba continue de transférer des patients en Ontario. Les hôpitaux ontariens accueillent au total environ une vingtaine de patients manitobains […]

RELEASE & BRIEFING NOTE: A Critically Important Warning in New Financial Accountability Office Report: Ford Government’s Long-Term Care Plan is a House of Cards

(May 27, 2021) Toronto – The new report on long-term care from Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office “FAO” supports what the Ontario Health Coalition has been warning about and more. In the neutral language of accounting, it highlights that there is no actual plan to fund needed health care services in the Ford government’s budget. It […]

Reacting to the roadmap to end for-profit long-term care in Ontario

(May 26, 2021) By: Devon Peacock, Omny Studio Last week, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released a report that outlined a roadmap to ending for-profit long-term care in Ontario. The report was commissioned by the Ontario Health Coalition and published by the CCPA. Peter Bergmanis from the London Health Coalition joins Devon Peacock to […]

Ontario’s Assistant Infrastructure Minister Defended Doug Ford’s Handling of Long-Term Care Homes. He Also Held Shares in Long-Term Care Companies.

(May 26, 2021) By: PressProgress Doug Ford’s assistant infrastructure minister is an outspoken defender of Ontario’s response to COVID-19 in long-term care homes, but he’s been less vocal about his investments in two of the province’s most controversial LTC companies. According to his most recent filing with Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner, Assistant Infrastructure Minister Stephen Crawford […]

Report urges Queen’s Park to build LTC beds as non-profits

(May 22, 2021) By: Joanne Laucius, Sudbury Star The province should make capital funding available to not-for-profit LTC operators so they can open LTC homes, says a report written by nine policy experts. Licenses for more than 30,000 LTC beds in Ontario are set to expire in 2025 and 15,000 new beds are in the […]

Fund non-profit care: report; Queen’s Park urged to shift support away from private long-term care residences

(May 21, 2021) By: Joanne Laucius, Ottawa Citizen (Print Edition) The province should make capital funding available to not-for-profit operators so they can open LTC homes, says a report by nine policy experts. Licences for more than 30,000 LTC beds in Ontario are set to expire in 2025 and 15,000 new beds are in the […]

Government shows a lack of respect

(May 20, 2021) By: Shirley Roebuck, Chatham Daily News (Print Edition) Today, I participated in the Ontario Health Coalition‘s virtual rally for long-term care homes while question period at the Ontario legislature was broadcast via Zoom and Facebook. Opposition MPPs peppered Conservative MPPs with questions about long-term care that had been submitted by LTC families. […]

REPORT: Investing in Care, Not Profit: Recommendations to Transform Long-Term Care in Ontario

(May 20, 2021) A summary of the report and the list of recommendations can be found below. Click here for the full report. Click here for media release. **A group of nine eminent policy experts are weighing in today on one of the most urgent policy debates in our province and our country. They are calling […]

Ford and Fullerton absent from virtual question period packed with LTC residents, workers and families

(May 19, 2021) By: Megan Delaire, Toronto.com Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Dr. Merrilee Fullerton make an announcement together at the Darlington Energy Complex in 2016. Both were absent from question period on May 18, as long-term-care residents, staff and families packed the virtual gallery. – Metroland file photo In a physically distanced twist on […]

Ontario Health Coalition Asking Residents To Virutally “Pack The Gallery” Of The Legislature To Pressure The Government To “Fix” Long Term Care

(May 18, 2021) By: Pamela Vanmeer, Kawartha 411 KAWARTHA LAKES-The Ontario Health Coalition is asking residents to pack the gallery of the legislature virtually to pressure the government to fix Long Term Care. They are trying to organize thousands of Ontarians to pack the Public Galleries virtually for Question Period today at 10:30 am. Here […]

Pack the Public Galleries at the Ontario Legislature

(May 18, 2021) By: 104.7 Heart FM The Ontario Health Coalition hosted a virtual event today to “Pack the Public Galleries” with people outraged over the Provinces LTC Response. ONTARIO – The Ontario Health Coalition invited everyone this morning to join a Zoom call entitled Pack the Public Galleries of the Ontario Legislature. The goal […]

RELEASE: ‘Total Disrespect’: LTC Residents, Families & Staff Incensed that Premier Ford Dodged Question Period Today While Hundreds Waited for Commitments to Improve Care

(May 18, 2021) Toronto –More than 570 families, residents, staff and supporters registered to virtually fill the galleries of the Ontario Legislature for Question Period today. Thousands more watched on the Ontario Health Coalition’s Facebook livestream. They came to hear the Ford government answer their questions and demands for vital improvements to long-term care. However, […]

Column: Every Sudburian should read long-term care report

(May 12, 2021) By: Dorothy (Dot) Klein, Timmins Daily Press A family in a long-term care home. PHOTO BY TONY CALDWELL /Postmedia Network Ontario’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission Report was made public on April 30 and can be found on the Ontario Government website. I recommend that every Ontario taxpayer read this report to fully comprehend the […]

EVENT: Pack the Public Galleries of the Ontario Legislature

(May 11, 2021) Outraged at the Ford government’s response on Long-Term Care Tuesday May 18 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PACK THE PUBLIC GALLERIES of the ONTARIO LEGISLATURE (virtually) Use the hashtag #FordFailedSeniors We can’t fill the Legislature physically during the shutdown but we can organize thousands of Ontarians to pack the Public Galleries virtually for Question Period. […]

Doug Ford promised ‘accountability’ after last year’s horrors in long-term care. Critics say they are still waiting

(May 6, 2021) By: Rob Ferguson, Muskoka Region (Metroland Media Group) Ontario’s Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said she is not aware of any provincial investigation into what Premier Doug Ford called “disgusting” situations in long-term-care homes. – Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS It’s been almost a year since a visibly upset Premier Doug Ford […]

RELEASE, SUMMARY & ANALYSIS: Ontario Health Coalition Summary & Analysis of Ontario’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission Final Report

(May 5, 2021) A media release and the Ontario Health Coalition’s full summary & analysis of Ontario’s Long-Term COVID-19 Commission final report can be found below. Coalition Outraged at Ford Government Response to Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission: “Total Failure in Leadership, no Conscience” Toronto – Premier Doug Ford returned to the Legislature today after being […]

Will COVID-19 vaccinations bring fresh air to some Caledon seniors after months of isolation?

(May 4, 2021) By: Alexandra Heck, Caledon Enterprise The closest Inge Hoare has gotten to her 98-year-old mother, Marie Placzek, in the past year is through the window of Placzek’s room at King Nursing Home in Bolton. “She’s one of the lucky ones,” Hoare said, noting that they wouldn’t be able to have window visits […]

Ontario Care Homes Not Prepared for the Spread of the Pandemic

(May 2, 2020) By: CTV News Analysis “We can’t allow people to die & suffer with the kind of neglect we have seen over the last year. It is an absolute moral failure.” – Executive director Natalie Mehra on CTV News talking about the state of long-term care after the new COVID-19 Long-Term Care Commission […]

NATALIE MEHRA – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ONTARIO HEALTH COALITION

(May 2, 2021) By: Matt Holmes, iHeart Radio We are not going to let the Ford gov’t off the hook! “They didn’t improve staffing throughout the pandemic, care levels are the lowest they have ever been. There is so much more they could have done to protect people’s lives.” “A real vindication of what we […]

After 26 years working at a factory, he caught COVID-19 and died. Inside one Brampton family’s story of the pandemic’s devastating — and preventable — toll

(May 1, 2021) By: Sara Mojtehedzadeh, New Hamburg Independent (Metroland Media Group) Kanaiya Gandhi was the kind of dad who shared everything, the kind who spent rarely on himself so his daughters could take swimming lessons. A run for his Tim Hortons coffee typically ended with doughnuts for the whole family; he loved to ply […]

COVID-19: Here’s the situation in the Sault this week

(April 30, 2021) By: Riley Smith, SooToday.com Stock image Update: Algoma Public Health reported one further COVID case in the region on Friday evening. Cases of COVID-19 across Ontario ranged this week between a low of 3,265 and a high of 4,094. As new provincial COVID cases remain steady at slightly lower daily averages, the province is […]

Seniors languish in LTC; Time to let residents out of their prisons

(April 29, 2021) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun Some 99% of long-term care (LTC) and retirement home residents have been vaccinated with both doses, and yet, they’re still locked into facilities – not free to even venture outdoors with the nice weather. It’s been more than a year of loneliness and isolation for them. When […]

RELEASE: “We are outraged”: Health Coalition slams Ford government’s response to Auditor General on LTC, No responsibility taken for the among the worst death rates in the world

(April 29, 2020) The Minister of Long-Term Care’s response to yesterday’s Auditor General’s long-term care report has left LTC families and advocates livid, reported the Ontario Health Coalition. Minister Fullerton, who has never taken responsibility for the almost 4,000 residents and staff who have died from COVID-19 in Ontario’s LTC homes, claimed that the government […]

Homes ‘inhumane’; Ontario LTC still a disaster a year later

(April 28, 2021) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun Janice Codeluppi couldn’t hold back the tears as she spoke of the impact of personal support worker (PSW) shortages in her mom’s GTA long-term care (LTC) home in the past year. She said that in her mom’s unit there are 32 beds with only two PSWs at […]

LEVY: Time to let long-term care residents out of their prisons

(April 28, 2021) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Ottawa Sun Some 99% of long-term care (LTC) and retirement home residents have been vaccinated with both doses, and yet they’re still locked into facilities — not free to even venture outdoors with the nice weather. It’s been more than a year of loneliness and isolation for them. At […]

National long-term care home standards a priority for healthcare advocates

(April 28, 2021) Christian D’Avino, CTV News SAULT STE. MARIE — Healthcare advocates and long-term care workers staged a virtual day of action Wednesday in an effort to improve care at long-term care facilities throughout the country. The protest was organized by the Ontario Health Coalition and called on provincial and federal governments to set […]

RELEASE: Ontario Auditor General Report on COVID-19 in Ontario’s LTC Homes Supports Longstanding Calls for Real Change

(April 28, 2021) Toronto – Ontario’s Auditor General released a 107-page report today assessing the province’s response to COVID-19 in long-term care homes, listing a litany of problems that contributed to the lack of preparedness and inadequate management of the pandemic in the homes. Major issues highlighted in the report include: overcrowded homes, offloading of […]

RELEASE: OHC Raises Alarm About Ford Government’s New Emergency Order Transferring Hospital ALC Patients Without Consent into LTC and Retirement Homes

(April 28, 2021) Toronto – The Ontario Health Coalition, which has for decades advocated for an end to hospital cuts and an expansion of capacity in our public hospitals and long-term care homes, reacted with shock and opposition to today’s new emergency order made by the Ford government that will enable forced transfers of patients […]

Advocates call for national long-term care standards

(April 27, 2021) By: Doug Diaczuk. tbnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – Following the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care in Ontario, health care and seniors advocates, family members, and workers are calling for nationalized standards to ensure a higher quality of care in homes. “We are not asking for the sky. We are […]

LEVY: Ontario LTC homes still a disaster

(April 27, 2021) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun Janice Codeluppi couldn’t hold back the tears as she spoke of the impact of personal support worker (PSW) shortages in her mom’s GTA long-term care (LTC) home in the past year. She said in her mom’s unit, there are 32 beds with only two PSWs at a […]

ONTARIO: Advocates call for national long-term care standards

(April 27, 2021) By: Doug Diaczuk, Sudbury.com THUNDER BAY – Following the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care in Ontario, health care and seniors advocates, family members, and workers are calling for nationalized standards to ensure a higher quality of care in homes. “We are not asking for the sky. We are […]

EVENT: Demand Our Federal and Provincial Governments Set National Standards to Improve Long-Term Care

(April 22, 2021) Join the National Day of Action Tuesday, April 27, 2021 HOW YOU CAN JOIN: The Day of Action will roll across Canada through the different time zones. On Tuesday April 27 Join our Facebook livestream in Ontario at 12:00 p.m. here: https://www.facebook.com/ontariohealth Or join the Facebook livestream at https://www.facebook.com/Canadians4LTC to watch the rolling livestreams hosted by […]

Are cancer surgeries ‘elective’ or life-saving? Some awaiting operations are in limbo due to COVID-19

(April 17, 2021) The Ontario government’s directive to hospitals to perform only emergency and life-saving surgeries has left people getting certain types of cancer treatments in limbo because they say their surgeries are considered elective. Lisa Scott’s 33-year-old daughter Vanessa Scott Fisher was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago. She was scheduled to have […]

Chris Selley: Doug Ford’s Ontario has utterly lost the plot in closing down schools

(April 14, 2021) It is testament to Ontarians’ orderly and tolerant ways that the province’s parents have yet to set any government buildings ablaze. On Sunday, Education Minister Stephen Lecce published a letter to his constituents assuring them that in-person classes would resume for their children after this week’s spring break, except in areas where local public […]

RESOURCES & ANALYSIS: COVID-19 Resources & Analysis of the Ford Government’s Response

This page contains the following information: Tracking report on COVID-19 outbreaks in health care settings Tracking report on COVID-19 outbreaks in non-health care settings List of COVID-19 assessment centres COVID-19 roundups Additional resources Media releases, statements, & campaigns Analysis & backgrounder of Ontario’s March 25 economic statement Tracking Report on COVID-19 Outbreaks in Health […]

RELEASE: Record Case Numbers, COVID-19 Third Wave Emergency: Ontarians Need Clearer Message, Stronger Protections- Coalition

(April 12, 2021) Toronto — Yesterday was the worst day for the spread of the pandemic so far. In one 24-hour period, 4,456 Ontarians were diagnosed with COVID-19. In that single day, 21 lives were lost to COVID-19. The 3rd wave is devastating, deadly, and it is overwhelming our health care system. Yesterday’s 4,456 new […]

Toronto is struggling to fill vaccine appointments for seniors. Why Ontario’s rollout is missing people in COVID-19 hot spots

(April 03, 2021) By: Olivia Bowden, The Hamilton Spectator This is a snippet of the full paywalled article. A link to the full article can be found below. Premier Doug Ford conceded recently he was “kind of shocked” to see vaccine appointments not being filled by older adults in the province. But for physicians and […]

Western University deals with another outbreak amid calls to expand vaccine rollout

(April 05, 2021) By: Bryan Bicknell, CTV News London Reporter LONDON, ONT. — Less than a week after a COVID-19 outbreak at Essex Hall was declared over, there is another outbreak at the Western University residence. The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) is reporting a small number of cases at the residence. But the outbreak, declared […]

Advocates want LTC residents let out of their rooms

(April 08, 2021) By: Todd Hambleton, Cornwall Standard-Freeholder (Print Edition) Long-term care facility residents, their families and advocates were recently demanding an immediate end to lock-in and isolation policies they say have created a desperate situation and a human rights issue. “We’re extremely concerned about what we’re hearing right across Ontario,” said Natalie Mehra, executive […]

Canada must radically reform disastrous long-term care system

(April 01, 2021) By: Karl Nerenberg Long-term care for the elderly is the weak sibling of Canada’s health system. If we did not know that previously, the COVID-19 pandemic has proven it conclusively. During the first wave of the pandemic last spring, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reported that among a group of OECD countries, […]

Vaccinated seniors get COVID-19, show no symptoms

(April 01, 2021) By: Wayne Lowrie, Brockville Recorder & Times (Print Edition) Despite being vaccinated against COVID-19, 10 residents of the Rideau Ferry Country Home have tested positive for the virus but all are asymptomatic, according to the retirement home. Amy Morrow, director of care and general manager at the 44-bed home, credited the vaccine […]

HPE region sees 32 new COVID-19 cases in single day

(April 01, 2021) By: Derek Baldwin, Belleville Intelligencer (Print Edition) A third wave of COVID-19 is rising steeply in Ontario, raising concerns for essential workers in workplaces, schools and childcare facilities, says a new report by the Ontario Health Coalition. The organization said it is tracking the spread of the virus and variants of concern […]

Many long term care residents have not left their room for over a year

(March 31, 2021) By: Tyler Brownbridge, Windsor Star Many people in Ontario’s long term care homes have been living in isolation for over a year. Despite government promises to spend your tax dollars on more and better, the situation for residents in LTC has never been worse. On the same day that a new report […]

Ontario Health Coalition Calling on the Province to Let LTC Home Residents go Outside

(March 30, 2021) By: 104.7 Heart FM Almost every single LTC home resident in the Province is vaccinated and yet, they are still not allowed outside to enjoy the sunshine or experience some fresh air. ONTARIO – The Ontario Health Coalition is calling on the Ford Government to let residents of long term care homes […]

Long-term care residents beg to go outside after year-long COVID-19 confinement

(March 30, 2021) By: Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press Friends and family members of residents at Extendicare Guildwood in Toronto visit their loved ones through windows, on June 12, 2020. (Evan Mitsui/CBC) Residents of Ontario’s long-term care homes begged on Tuesday to be allowed outside, saying anti-pandemic restrictions that have confined them indoors for more than […]

LTC residents beg for freedom to go outside

(March 30, 2021) By: Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press TORONTO — Residents of Ontario’s long-term care homes begged on Tuesday to be allowed outside, saying anti-pandemic restrictions that have confined them indoors for more than a year make no sense given almost all have now been vaccinated. Some compared their situations to solitary confinement, and […]

Many long term care residents have not left their room for over a year

(March 31, 2021) By: Donald Macdonald, Sudbury Star Many people in Ontario’s long term care homes have been living in isolation for over a year. Despite government promises to spend your tax dollars on more and better, the situation for residents in LTC has never been worse. On the same day that a new report […]

LTC residents trapped; Many haven’t left their room in a year

(March 31, 2021) By: Liz Braun, Ottawa Sun (Print Edition) Many people in Ontario’s long-term care homes have been living in isolation for more than a year. On the same day that a new report came down about Canada’s terrible track record with LTC deaths during COVID-19 – we’re essentially the worst among wealthy nations […]

Residents of LTC demand freedoms

(March 31, 2021) By: Colin Perkel, London Free Press (Print Edition) TORONTO Residents of Ontario’s long-term care homes begged on Tuesday to be allowed outside, saying anti-pandemic restrictions that have confined them indoors for more than a year make no sense given almost all have now been vaccinated. Some compared their situations to solitary confinement, […]

Ontario seniors stuck inside long-term care want to be let out

(March 31, 2021) By: Tina Yazdani Though more than 90 per cent of Ontario long-term care residents have been vaccinated and cases inside homes have dropped to near-zero, most living in care are still being forced to stay inside – and they are demanding to be let out. WATCH: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/03/30/ontario-seniors-stuck-inside-long-term-care-want-to-be-let-out/ Advocates and residents say the […]

Local COVID in sixth day of decline

(March 30, 2021) By: Wayne Lowrie, Brockville Recorder This handout file illustration image obtained Feb. 27, 2020 courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the coronavirus, COVID-19. PHOTO BY HANDOUT /Centers for Disease Control and Prevention While the third wave was pushing Ontario’s […]

More beds coming as system tackles 5-year wait lists for long-term care

(March 31, 2021) By: Kate Bueckert, CBC News The wait to get into a long-term care home in Waterloo-Wellington can take between months to years for some people. The province recently announced an extra 281 beds for Waterloo region in the coming years. (Evan Mitsui/CBC) A new report says the average wait time for a room […]

After a year, let LTC residents out of their rooms: advocates

(April 7, 2021) By: Todd Hambleton, The Intelligencer Alfred Borg, 83, during a lighter moment during an online media conference on Tuesday. Photo on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Cornwall, Ont. Todd Hambleton/Cornwall Standard-Freeholder/Postmedia Network PHOTO BY TODD HAMBLETON /Todd Hambleton/Standard-Freeholder Long-term care facility residents, their families and advocates were recently demanding an immediate end to […]

REPORT: Briefing Report: Investigating Real Registered Nurse Staffing Levels in Ontario’s Long-Term Care Homes

(April 7, 2021) While acuity levels in Ontario’s LTC homes have risen for decades, daily hands-on care levels have been generally static and even have declined over the last 14 years. Shortages of daily hands-on care staff, including RNs and PSWs were significant and problematic before the pandemic, but have worsened through the COVID-19 pandemic. […]

Call for LTC inquiry

(April 5, 2021) By: Natali Trivuncic, Toronto Star The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU), the hospital division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly (ACE) held a virtual conference to review wait times for long-term care in northwestern Ontario, hospital overcrowding […]

National standards needed in long-term care

(March 30, 2021) By: Marie DellaVedova, The Sault Star According to many medical and scientific experts, we have now entered the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the first two waves approximately 4,000 people died in long-term care homes in Ontario. The pandemic experience for long-term care residents in Canada has been especially brutal. […]

RELEASE: Health Coalition’s New Report Tracks Alarming Spread of COVID-19 in Ontario’s Third Wave: Hardest Hit Industries

(March 30, 2021) As the curve of the third wave rises steeply, the Ontario Health Coalition released its new report today Ontario’s Reopening and the Third Wave: The Spread of COVID-19 in Workplaces & Schools tracking the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces, schools and childcare through February and March to date. On March 28, Ontario […]

Human rights probe sought into long-term care

(March 27, 2021) By: Ronald Zajac, Brockville Recorder & Times (Print Edition) A coalition of groups is calling for a human rights inquiry into what they call Ontario’s systematic discrimination against the elderly in access to health care. At a virtual media event earlier this week, the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the Ontario Council of […]

Hesitant long-term care staff asked to give vaccine a shot

(March 27, 2021) By: Tyler Brownbridge, Windsor Star Ontario will offer staff working in nursing homes another chance to get a COVID-19 vaccine but stopped short of mandatory vaccination as a condition of employment. “Certainly the staff in long-term care were really the first group to be prioritized for the vaccines… If you’re first in […]

Advocates call for investigation into ageism in provincial health system

(March 26, 2021) By: Ian Macalpine, Kingston Whig-Standard (Print Edition) The Ontario Health Coalition, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, the hospital division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly are calling on the Ontario Human Rights Commission for a probe into what the groups call “systemic ageism […]

‘Terrible inadequacy of care’ needs human rights inquiry

(March 26, 2021) By: Todd Hambleton, Cornwall Standard-Freeholder (Print Edition) Representatives of several groups say the elderly in Cornwall and eastern Ontario, and all across the province, are having their human rights violated by being denied access to essential health care. Advocates including Michael Hurley, CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE) president, are urging […]

The Ford government says Brampton is getting a new hospital. The details aren’t so clear

(March 26, 2021) Nick Boisvert, CBC News After enduring years of struggles and seeing its local health care system stretched beyond its limits, relief could finally be coming to Brampton in the form of a brand new hospital. Maybe. It depends on who you ask. The provincial government included in its 2021 budget a commitment […]

Sims: Vaccination tweak intended to stamp out stubborn outbreaks at seniors’ homes

(March 25, 2021) By: Jane Sims, London Free Press A little tweak is coming to the local vaccination plan in a week or two that makes loads of sense and could finally end the persistent outbreaks showing up in seniors’ home. “Our hope is within the next one to two weeks that we will be […]

Unions and advocacy groups call for inquiry into long-term care

(March 25, 2021) By: Nick Seebruch, Seaway News ONTARIO – A coalition of unions and advocacy groups are calling for an inquiry into Ontario’s long-term care sector, and the treatment of long-term care residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. “COVID-19 has shone a harsh light on Ontario health care’s systemic ageism in the treatment of the […]

Long waits, COVID toll blamed on ‘ageism’in Ontario health care

(March 25, 2021) By: Jonathan Juha, London Free Press With Southwestern Ontario seniors waiting as long as four years for long-term care beds, it’s time for an inquiry into “ageism” in the province’s health-care system, a coalition of health, labour and seniors’advocates say. The group, including the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), Ontario Council of Hospital […]

Long waits, COVID toll blamed on ‘ageism’ in Ontario health care

(March 25, 2021) By: Jonathan Juha, Stratford Beacon-Herald LONDON With Southwestern Ontario seniors waiting as long as four years for long-term care beds, it’s time for an inquiry into “ageism” in the province’s health-care system, a coalition of health, labour and seniors’advocates say. The group, including the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), Ontario Council of Hospital […]

Unvaccinated staff source of outbreaks; Positive COVID cases at seniors and longterm care homes not among residents

(March 25, 2021) By: Jane Sims, Stratford Beacon-Herald (Print Edition) A little tweak is coming to the local vaccination plan in a week or two that makes loads of sense and could finally end the persistent outbreaks showing up in seniors’ homes. “Our hope is within the next one to two weeks that we will […]

Loved ones worried about low staff vaccination rates at nursing homes

(March 25, 2021) By: Yahoo News An average of only 65 per cent of long-term care staff working in Ottawa long-term care homes have received vaccinations against COVID-19, a survey by CBC reveals, leaving residents in some facilities to face further isolation and confinement as homes grapple to contain outbreaks, mainly involving staff. The low […]

Spotlight on Brampton: HealthCare System Neglected for Too Long

(March 24, 2021) By: Mansoor Tanweer, Yahoo News Natalie Mehra is the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, a non-profit network of grassroots community organizations. While she advocates for better health care across the province, Brampton is of particular interest to her. “For decades now, the continuum of care from hospital care to long-term […]

‘Systemic ageism’ impacting COVID-19 care in southwestern Ontario: Advocacy groups

(March 24, 2021) By: Sean Irvine, CTV News LONDON, ONT. — Southwestern Ontario residents are being encouraged to back a call for a human rights inquiry into ageism as it relates to COVID-19. Multiple groups say chronic provincial government cuts to hospital beds, and a lengthy waiting list to access long-term care (LTC), has led […]

‘Impossibly long’: LTC waitlists, age discrimination among concerns in request for public inquiry

(March 24, 2021) By: Brittany Rosen, Global News Several Ontario unions representing health-care workers are calling for a public inquiry into the province’s hospitals and long-term care homes. The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU), the hospital division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Advoacy Centre […]

Call for human rights inquiry on discrimination for elderly population reaches Windsor

(March 24, 2021) By: CBC News Staff, CBC News Health-care advocates and unions are calling for an Ontario Human Rights Commission inquiry into what it calls systemic discrimination against elderly patients in hospital and long-term care homes across the province. One of those who have witnessed that discrimination first-hand in Windsor-Essex is Katrina Simonato. Her mother lives […]

‘Pleas from the elderly can no longer fall on deaf ears’ (UPDATED WITH SAH COMMENTS)

(March 22, 2021) Natalie Mehra, Ontario Health Coalition executive director, says that in Sault Ste. Marie alone, wait times for long-term care homes range from 124 days to 2,088 days. JEFFREY OUGLER/POSTMEDIA The Ontario Human Rights Commission is being asked to probe “years of systemic ageism” in Ontario’s health system. The Ontario Health Coalition, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU), […]

RELEASE: Ontario Budget: Health Coalition is Watching for Sufficient Health Funding, Strings Attached in For-Profit LTC & A Stop to the Ford Government’s Privatization of Health Care

(March 24, 2021) Toronto – The Health Coalition said today that the funding numbers for health care in the budget are going to look huge of course, due to the pandemic, but the Coalition will be watching to make sure that funding is indeed enough. Equally important to the amount of funding, are strings attached […]

Group calling for human rights inquiry as province’s long-term care waitlist grows

(March 23, 2021) By: DurhamRadioNews.com A group is calling for a formal inquiry into alleged age discrimination in Ontario hospitals and long-term care settings. The Advocacy Centre for Elderly (ACE), Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) are jointly asking the Ontario Human Rights Commission to investigate. The groups accuse the […]

‘Pleas from the elderly can no longer fall on deaf ears’; Groups call on Ontario Human Rights Commission to probe ‘years of systemic ageism’ in health care

(March 23, 2021) By: Jeffrey Ougler, Sault Star (Print Edition) The Ontario Human Rights Commission is being asked to probe “years of systemic ageism” in Ontario’s health system. The Ontario Health Coalition, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU), the hospital division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, […]

Women don’t choose low-paying jobs; society just doesn’t value our work

(March 23, 2021) By: Suzanne Rent, Halifax Examiner 1. Nurse recruitment during the pandemic is challenging, but going reasonably well Nurse Suzette MacLeod administers the COVID-19 vaccine to elder Patsy Paul-Martin of Millbrook First Nation at the Feb. 24 vaccination clinic. Photo: Communications Nova Scotia Jennifer Henderson reports on the recruitment of retired or inactive […]

No federal funding for long-term care homes that don’t follow national standards, Canadian advocates demand

(March 23, 2021) By: Nebal Snan, The Telegram Although Nova Scotia had a strong overall response to the pandemic, flaws in the long-term care system cost lives, with about 86 per cent of deaths from COVID-19 happening in long-term care. Pictured is the Northwood Halifax campus in September, 2020. – Tim Krochak/File Health-care advocates across […]

Advocates Asking the Human Rights Commission for a Ground-Breaking Probe

(March 22, 2021) By: Sault Online Advocates asking the Human Rights Commission for a ground-breaking probe into years of systemic ageism in Ontario’s health system are urging Sault Ste. Marie residents to get behind their call for an inquiry. The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) the hospital division of […]

Group calls for inquiry into Ontario health care’s ‘systemic discrimination’ against elderly

(March 22, 2021) By: Arron Pickard, Sudbury.com Natalie Mehra is the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. (File) Canadians like to be proud of the country’s health-care system and to believe everyone has equal access to it, but when it comes to the elderly in Ontario, that is not the situation, said a group […]

Advocates call for inquiry to address ageism in Ontario health care

(March 22, 2021) By: Doug Diaczuk, tbnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – The Ontario Health Coalition, along with elderly advocates and health care unions are calling on the Ontario Human Rights Commission to launch a public inquiry into what it says has been decades of systemic ageism in Ontario’s health care system. The Ontario Council of Hospital […]

Groups Demand Inquiry Into Seniors’ Care

(March 22, 2021) By: Colin Redston, Country 105 Hush Naidoo / Unsplash Healthcare advocates want an investigation of alleged discrimination against elderly patients in hospitals and long-term care. The Ontario Health Coalition, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, and lawyers from Goldblatt Partners laid out their complaints in a virtual news conference. They’re […]

Singh tables motion to end for-profit long-term care as calls to reform system build

(March 22, 2021) By: Janet E Silver, iPolitics A worker waves from inside Grace Villa in Hamilton on Dec. 5, 2020, during a rally in support of workers inside the long-term care home. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has introduced a motion to end for-profit long-term care by 2030. (John Rennison/Hamilton Spectator) As the list of […]

Peterborough Health Coalition invites public as long-term care deaths focus of Facebook event

(March 20, 2021) Click here for original article

RELEASE, BRIEFING NOTE & LEGAL OPINION: Advocates Representing More Than 1 Million Canadians Call For National Standards to Improve Quality, Accountability and Take Profit Out of Long-Term Care

(March 22, 2021) Click here for the legal opinion on national standards. The media release and briefing note can be found below. Legal Opinion on National Standards Media Release Ottawa/Across Canada – Today, advocates representing more than a million Canadians came together to demand that the federal government and provinces work together to establish national […]

Human rights inquiry into senior care ‘long overdue’

(March 20, 2021) By: Michael Lee, North Bay Nugget (Print Edition) Health-care advocates are calling for a public inquiry into human rights discrimination against the elderly over access to care in hospitals and long-term care. The push by the Ontario Health Coalition, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, which serves as the hospital division of the […]

Coalition claiming discrimination against Ontario’s elderly

(March 20, 2021) By: Yahoo! News Canada Health advocates across the province are calling on the Ontario Human Rights Commissioner to conduct a formal inquiry into the discrimination against the elderly in access to and levels of care in hospitals and long-term care homes. As part of their campaign, the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) partnered […]

Healthcare group wants human rights inquiry into “systematic discrimination” against elderly

(March 19, 2021) By: Greg Bowman, My North Bay Now (Stock image via Pixabay.com) A healthcare group is demanding the Ontario Human Rights Commission to open a public inquiry on discrimination against the elderly in access to healthcare, as well as the various levels of care. The partnership includes the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the Ontario Council […]

Human rights inquiry ‘long overdue’ regarding the elderly and health care — advocates

(March 19, 2021) By: BayToday Staff There are calls for a public inquiry on human rights discrimination against the elderly when it come to access to — and levels of — care in hospitals and long-term care. Stock image. Advocates for the elderly claim years of systemic ageism in health policies have contributed to long-term […]

450 new, upgraded LTC beds get funding

(March 19, 2021) By: Jonathan Juha and Dan Brown, London Free Press (Print Edition) The London region is getting nearly 450 new or renovated longterm care home spaces as part of a $933 million provincewide investment by the Ontario government for such projects. Two among 80 funded projects provincewide are in London and another in […]

Unions, advocates for seniors call for inquiry into discrimination against elderly in health care

(March 18, 2021) By: Saira Peesker, CBC News Ross Ha waves goodbye to his 88-year-old mother on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 after the Rose of Sharon Korean Long Term Care home introduced new visitation processes. (Sam Nar/CBC) (Sam Nar/CBC) A coalition of health-care advocates and union groups is calling on the Ontario Human Rights Commission to conduct […]

Ontario groups call for inquiry into ‘systemic discrimination’ against seniors

(March 18, 2021) By: Maria Iqbal, The Hamilton Spectator Ontario advocacy groups and unions are demanding a formal inquiry into older residents being denied adequate access to health care — which they say has only worsened in the pandemic. In a campaign launched Tuesday, the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) and the Advocacy […]

Province funding 450 new, upgraded long-term care beds in London, Elgin

(March 18, 2021) By: Robin Harvey, St. Thomas Times-Journal The London region is getting nearly 450 new or renovated long-term care home spaces as part of a $933 million provincewide investment by the Ontario government for such projects. Two among 80 funded projects provincewide are in London and another in Port Stanley. In the city, […]

‘Harsh light’ on problem; Groups see worrying trend of seniors ‘pushed’ into poor care

(March 18, 2021) By: Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Sun (Print Edition) Critics are calling for a human rights inquiry, saying the transfer of elderly patients into retirement homes and converted hotels to free up hospital beds has become a worrying trend in Ontario. Among facilities cited during a press conference by the Advocacy Centre for the […]

When COVID-19 strikes workplaces, what does real transparency look like? Why disclosure is rare, but revealing

(March 18, 2021) By: Tavia Grant, The Globe and Mail Workers head to the main security gate at Maple Lodge Farms’s poultry-processing plant in Brampton, Ont. Throughout the pandemic, the facility has kept running even as Brampton became of Canada’s top COVID-19 hotspots. FRED LUM/THE GLOBE AND MAIL The production line at Maple Lodge Farms […]

Ontario’s PSW shortage is impacting people living with disabilities in Waterloo region

(March 18, 2021) By: CBC News A local advocate says PSW work is crucial and helps facilitate “someone else’s citizenship and their ability to participate in the community.” (iStock) The shortage of personal support workers (PSWs) in the province in not only impacting people living in long-term care in Waterloo region, but people living with disabilities in […]

Years of Systemic Ageism in Health Policies Contributed to More Than 280 Ottawa Long-term Care Residents Dying of COVID-19; Ontario Human Rights Inquiry Needed Author of the article:

(March 17, 2021) By: Financial Post OTTAWA, Ontario — Years of systemic ageism in Ontario’s health system that treats the elderly as though their right to care is lesser than others contributed to more than 280 Ottawa long-term care residents dying from COVID-19 in the last year, say advocates who yesterday asked the Human Rights […]

Health coalition wants formal inquiry into poor health care treatment of the elderly

(March 17, 2021) By: MidlandToday Staff (File photo) The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) said the poor treatment of the elderly in Ontario hospitals and long-term care homes has gone on long enough. The OHC is pushing to have a formal inquiry into what it says is the “systemic discrimination based on age against the elderly […]

ADVOCATES CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS INQUIRY INTO ‘DISCRIMINATION’ DENYING HOSPITAL CARE TO LONG-TERM-CARE RESIDENTS IN ONTARIO

(March 17, 2021) By: Miriam Katawazi A man protests outside the Tendercare Living Centre long-term-care facility during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scarborough, Ont., on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. This LTC home has been hit hard by the coronavirus during the second wave. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette Advocates are calling for a human rights inquiry into […]

Ontario Health Coalition urges formal inquiry into poor care of elderly

(March 17, 2021) By: NewmarketToday Staff File photo The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) said the poor treatment of the elderly in Ontario hospitals and long-term care homes has gone on long enough. The OHC is pushing to have a formal inquiry into what it says is the “systemic discrimination based on age against the elderly […]

Group wants to take Seniors issues to Human Rights Tribunal

(March 17, 2021) By: 96.1 Renfrew Today Because the elderly have greater difficulty in advocating for themselves, a coalition of three groups are combining forces to do it for them. The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Advocacy Centre for Elderly (ACE) are calling on the Ontario Human […]

Transitional care trend cited as one more way elderly being shortchanged by health system

(March 17, 2021) By: Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen Greystone Village Retirement Home was transformed into a transitional care unit, overseen by Bruyère hospital and managed by a private company. The company says it works with hospitals to improve patient outcomes and “provide a seamless transition from hospital stay to in-home care.” PHOTO BY ERROL MCGIHON /Errol McGihon […]

Advocates Call for Landmark Ontario Human Rights Commission Inquiry into Discrimination and Denial of Needed Health Care for the Elderly

(March 16, 2021) By: Financial Post TORONTO — Ontario’s Human Rights Commission today is being urged to undertake what could be a landmark systemic public inquiry into age discrimination in the provision of health care in the province. In their letter (http://bit.ly/OHRC-letter-210316) to the Commission, the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the Canadian Union of Public […]

Call for human rights inquiry into health-care ‘discrimination’ of elderly

(March 16, 2021) By: CBC News The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions and the Ontario Health Coalition say the province’s policy of ‘de-hospitalizing; the health-care system and the underfunding of long-term care have had a ‘disproportionately negative effect’ on older people. (Shaun Best/Reuters – image credit) Three groups have […]

Advocates urge Ontario human rights chief to probe ‘discrimination’ denying hospital care to long-term-care residents

(March 16, 2021) By: Michele Henry, Toronto Star Seniors advocates across Ontario are calling on the province’s human rights watchdog to probe “systemic discrimination” at the heart of a health-care system that has, during COVID, quietly and “coercively” denied hospital care to the elderly. The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, Ontario Health Coalition and Ontario Coalition for […]

Call for human rights inquiry into health-care ‘discrimination’ of elderly

(March 16, 2021) By: Julie Ireton, CBC News Three groups have teamed to call on the Ontario Human Rights Commission to investigate the “systemic discrimination” of elderly people seeking health care. The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions and the Ontario Health Coalition are holding a news conference at 11 a.m. ET […]

Groups seek Ontario human rights inquiry into discrimination against elderly in health system

(March 16, 2021) By: Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen The pandemic has highlighted what has long been clear, say groups representing care workers, seniors and their families: Ontario’s health system discriminates against the elderly. The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, the Ontario Health Coalition and the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions are asking Ontario’s Human Rights […]

Advocates urge Ontario human rights chief to probe ‘discrimination’ denying hospital care to long-term-care residents

Call for human rights inquiry into health-care ‘discrimination’ of elderly

(March 16, 2021) By: Julie Ireton, CBC News The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions and the Ontario Health Coalition say the province’s policy of ‘de-hospitalizing; the health-care system and the underfunding of long-term care have had a ‘disproportionately negative effect’ on older people. (Shaun Best/Reuters) Three groups have teamed to call […]

Doug Ford’s ‘Director Of Pandemic Response’ Was a Private Health Lobbyist For Shoppers Drug Mart

(March 16, 2021) By: PressProgress The Ford’s government’s “Director of Pandemic Response” is a former private health lobbyist with a firm representing Shoppers Drug Mart and other companies seeking COVID-19 related contracts. Emily Beduz became the Ministry of Health’s “Director of Pandemic Response” in October 2020 after working as a senior policy advisor for the Ministry, starting […]

Advocates call for human rights inquiry into ‘discrimination’ denying hospital care to long-term-care residents in Ontario

(March 16, 2021) By: Miriam Katawazi, CTV News A man protests outside the Tendercare Living Centre long-term-care facility during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scarborough, Ont., on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. This LTC home has been hit hard by the coronavirus during the second wave. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette TORONTO — Advocates are calling for a […]

Groups seek Ontario human rights inquiry into discrimination against elderly in health system

(March 16, 2021) By: Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen Natalie Mehra is executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. PHOTO BY JOHN LAPPA /Postmedia The pandemic has highlighted what has long been clear, say groups representing care workers, seniors and their families: Ontario’s health system discriminates against the elderly. The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, the Ontario Health […]

LETTER & EVENTS: Call for Human Rights Inquiry Into Systemic Discrimination Against the Elderly in Ontario Hospitals and Long-Term Care

(March 16, 2021) Click here for a link to the letter to the Ontario Human Rights Commissioner. The Ontario Health Coalition, the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly & CUPE/OCHU are calling on the Ontario Human Rights Commissioner to conduct a formal Inquiry into the human rights discrimination against the elderly in access to and levels […]

NATALIE MEHRA – ONTARIO HEALTH COALITION

(March 14, 2021) By: Matt Holmes, iHeart Radio Click here for the radio interview

Cases rise as variants surge; 18 more people die – but none in long-term care

(March 13, 2021) By: Antonella Artuso, Toronto Sun (Print Edition) There were 1,371 new cases of COVID-19 and 18 more deaths reported Friday. Provincial modelling released this week warned that numbers would likely rise over the next few weeks as variants of concern (VOC) became the more dominant strains. Testing confirmed 49 more cases of […]