Ontario to conduct review of long-term care home system
Posted May 7, 2020 11:35 am.
Last Updated May 7, 2020 2:41 pm.
The Minister of Long-Term Care has announced there will be a review conducted of the long-term care home system when the province emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.
Minister Merrilee Fullerton announced the review on Twitter saying, “the system is broken” and has “endured years of neglect.”
Fullerton declined to provide any details of what the review will look like, but all forms of review are on the table. ”
“There will come a time to discuss the scale, scope, and terms of a review, but our priority today must be to protect people’s lives and continue to bend the curve,” read her tweet.
Premier Doug Ford commented on the review during his daily coronavirus press conference Thursday.
“Our main focus is to make sure it’s all hands on deck at long-term care. We know the system’s broken. …We’re going to have a complete review, not just long-term care, said Ford. “I think the whole system of government, there’s better ways of doing things, more efficient ways of doing things and there’s definitely going to be a review.”
There have been COVID-19 outbreaks in 225 homes in the province and 681 residents have died. A total of 2693 residents have tested positive for the coronavirus along with 1331 staff members.
Ontario called in the Canadian military last month to help with some of the worst-hit long term care homes in the GTA including Orchard Villa, Altamont Care, Eatonville, Hawthorne Place, and Holland Christian Homes’ Grace Manor.
