Long-term care minister says Ontario is taking action to address problems highlighted in report

Ontario’s long-term care minister says the government is taking action to address problems highlighted in a report outlining the province’s neglect of nursing homes in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Merrilee Fullerton said the deaths of residents and staff in long-term care homes must not be in vain at a press conference on Monday. However, Fullerton largely blamed the issues plaguing the homes on previous provincial governments.

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“The report makes it clear that the lessons learned from SARS were forgotten or were not implemented in the long-term care sector,” she said. “The report also makes it clear that the long-standing issues neglected by successive governments contributed to the spread of COVID19.”

Fullerton said the government is moving to address a severe staffing shortage, improve quality of care for residents and build new beds. Fullerton said more changes are coming which will improve residents’ “quality of life” and their “emotional wellbeing.”

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Ontario long-term care commission says nursing homes were neglected, sector needs reform

The Ontario Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission called for an overhaul of the sector in its final report, delivered to the government Friday night.

The 322-page report said the long-term care sector was not properly prepared for a pandemic, which was then made worse by the Ontario government’s “slow response” when COVID-19 first hit the province.

“Many of the challenges that had festered in the long-term care sector for decades — chronic underfunding, severe staffing shortages, outdated infrastructure and poor oversight — contributed to deadly consequences for Ontario’s most vulnerable citizens during the pandemic,” the commissioners wrote.

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“Now is the time to revisit the delivery model for long-term care and adopt a better way to provide care for Ontario’s seniors,” the report said.

A total of 3,760 long-term care residents and 11 staff have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic hit.

The minister abruptly ended her press conference by walking out while people were still in the queue both on the phone and in-person with questions.

With files from Jessica Patton

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