Funding Boost for Community Care Is Good News for Ontario's Seniors

TORONTO, March 27, 2012 /CNW/ - The Ontario government has announced a significant investment of $526 million per year for the next three years for home care and community services that will help seniors stay at home longer.

"For some time, the government has been looking to the community sector to take pressure off hospitals and long term care homes but adequate resourcing has been missing. With the funding announced today, the community sector will be able to step up and play a larger and more effective role in the continuum of care for seniors," said Donna Rubin, CEO of the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors.

Long term care homes will see a modest increase in funding in fiscal year 2012-13 to fund direct care and programs for residents.

"There's a sizable gap between the 1% increase for resident care that we are seeing in this budget and the 3% the government committed to last year, but we had to expect some adjustment given the current fiscal situation in the province," said Rubin.

OANHSS will be looking for details in the coming weeks about an additional 1.8% increase in long term care home funding identified in the budget.

Also in today's budget is a specific reference to providing homes with greater flexibility to pay for services from within their current funding structure.

"This is very significant for providers and for residents," said Rubin. "Greater flexibility will allow homes to more effectively allocate funds to meet the needs of residents."

OANHSS put forward a number of "no cost" proposals to government in its pre-budget submission and expects to explore these in more detail in the months ahead.

OANHSS is the provincial association representing not-for-profit providers of long term care, services and housing for seniors. Members include municipal and charitable long term care homes, non-profit nursing homes, seniors' housing projects and community service agencies. Member organizations operate over 27,000 long term care beds and over 5,000 seniors' housing units across the province.

Debbie Humphreys
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
(W) 905 851-8821 ext. 233
(C) 416 553-7401