As home-care needs grow, what are Ontario’s major parties offering?
Navigating the complexities of caring for a loved one with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic can be overwhelming. This was the reality for Anna Foat and her family when her late mother-in-law, Myrna Foat, required a higher level of care than they could provide at home.
Myrna, in her early 80s at the time, needed assistance with all her daily activities due to her dementia diagnosis. Anna and her husband attempted to care for her in their home, but quickly realized they didn’t have access to enough support. With full-time jobs and two young children to look after, the burden of providing round-the-clock care for Myrna was becoming too much for the family to handle.
Despite their best efforts, Anna was only able to secure two short visits per week from a personal support worker, leaving little time for the necessary tasks. Eventually, the family made the difficult decision to move Myrna to a long-term care home in Komoka as an emergency measure. However, even this process was fraught with challenges, and Myrna’s care at the facility during a COVID-19 outbreak was not without issues.
Sadly, Myrna passed away in December, leaving Anna feeling that Ontario’s home-care system is in need of significant improvement. A report released last year highlighted the growing need for enhanced home-care supports as the province’s population of individuals aged 75 and older is expected to increase significantly in the coming years.
Sue VanderBent, CEO of Home Care Ontario, echoed Anna’s sentiments, emphasizing the need for additional funding to expand home-care services. While the government has pledged $2 billion in additional funding for home care over the next three years, VanderBent believes that a further investment of $2.1 billion could greatly enhance the level of care provided to seniors across the province.
Experts like Jane Meadus from the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly agree that a more robust home-care system is essential to ensure consistent and accessible care for seniors. With the upcoming election, each major political party in Ontario has outlined their plans for improving home care.
The Greens propose equal wages for care providers and coverage for travel expenses, while the Liberals promise to increase annual home-care spending by 25% and introduce a seniors’ home-care tax credit. The NDP aims to prevent privatization of home care and long-term care while ensuring reliable services for aging individuals. The PCs have allocated funding for new long-term care beds but have not specified additional measures for home care.
As Ontario grapples with the need for improved home-care services, it is clear that a comprehensive and sustainable approach is necessary to support families like Anna’s in caring for their loved ones. By investing in home care, the province can ensure that seniors receive the quality care they deserve in the comfort of their own homes.
