Dear Editor:
The latest provincial government legislation to move “seniors” from hospital beds to long-term care homes or charge them $400 per day, is absolutely disgusting – a “Band-Aid” solution at the cost of those who have given so much to this province and country.
They have worked all their lives, paid taxes, fought for this country, helped build this country only to be completely disrespected. Long-term care homes, as we found out during the COVID-19 pandemic, are not even being compelled to meet minimum provincial standards, which are far below what they should be to treat human beings with respect and dignity. Now seniors are being “forced” to live away from family and friends, being used as a solution to fix the inadequacy of our health care system.
All levels of government are talking about affordable housing, but for whom? What about affordable housing with appropriate support for seniors? I don’t know actual numbers, but how many seniors can afford the exorbitant prices of so-called seniors’ residences? There are a lot of seniors who worked all their lives but had no company pension, living paycheque to paycheque to make ends meet without an opportunity to “save” for retirement and maybe don’t have family to provide support for them to stay in their homes, where they would rather be.
Why don’t all levels of government – federal, provincial and municipal – get together and think outside the box to provide funded solutions for seniors to be able to stay in their own homes, rather than ship them off to be mistreated?
Big business profits seem to be the only consideration of any of our governments. What happened to compassion, dignity, respect, rights of seniors? This latest provincial legislation has just “killed” the rights of every senior in this province. Now they will have to pay $12,000 per month for making a decision not to be put into a long-term care home that wasn’t their choice.
For a province and a country that is supposed to be one of the best places in the world to live, it is absolutely despicable and unacceptable for the elderly to be treated so poorly.
I challenge all levels of government, including town councils, to be the first to provide plans for their respective communities to rectify this situation. Be the first to show your respect and compassion to those who deserve nothing less.
Gord Smithson,
Fergus