Today, the Ontario government announced that it is launching an
independent Commission into the province's long-term care
system. According to the Minister of Long-Term Care, there will be
a "thorough and expedited" review of the long-term care
system to get a better understanding of the impacts of, and
responses to, the COVID-19 outbreaks. In our view, the Commission
will also need to examine long overlooked limitations built into
the long-term care system, including inadequate staffing
levels and underfunding. It should be obvious that all of these
issues are linked.
The Ministry's announcement comes just days after the
Ontario Long-Term Care Association called on the Provincial
government to commit to a public inquiry into the sector. The OLTCA
is advocating for a comprehensive review which will finally address
long-standing systemic issues with the provincial model for
long-term care homes that have now been highlighted by
COVID-19.
