TORONTO – New legislation purporting to better the quality of life for long-term care home residents was introduced at Queen’s Park on Oct. 28 by the province’s Progressive Conservatives.
The proposed Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors and Building More Beds Act would replace the Long-Term Care Homes Act of 2007, which currently governs long-term care homes across the province, with the Fixing Long-Term Care Act.
Also contained in a bill with the proposed legislation are amendments to the Retirement Homes Act of 2010.
“After decades of neglect and underfunding by previous governments, we are fixing long-term care,” long-term care minister Rod Phillips stated in a press release.
“This legislation, if passed, would protect our progress by supporting our commitments to increase staffing for more hours of direct care, enhance accountability, and build more modern beds.”
The Fixing Long-Term Care Act would:
- increase daily one-on-one resident care to an average of four hours per day by 2025;
- update the Residents’ Bill of Rights to align with the province’s Human Rights Code;
- implement resident/family/caregiver surveys; and
- introduce a ministerial review of a director’s decision in the long-term care home licensing process.
The act would also bulk up enforcement of long-term care homes by:
- eliminating voluntary correction plans;
- allowing a ministry director or inspector to issue civil Administrative Monetary Penalties for non-compliance;
- lessening the limitations for which temporary managers can be brought in to help with operating a home;
- granting authority to suspend a licence or take over a home without having to revoke licensing or close a home, and
- doubling fines for both individuals ($200,000 for a first offence and $400,000 for a second) and corporations ($500,000 for first offence and $1 million for a second).
The legislation would also require the Ministry of Long-Term Care to publicly report and regularly review progress in achieving target goals and propose strategies or steps to achieve targets if they’re not met.
Proposed amendments to the Retirement Homes Act would provide the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority with “enhanced management and compliance tools,” improve data collection, pricing transparency for consumers, and prevention against the financial abuse of seniors, officials say.
