NDP Health and Long-Term Care Critic France Gélinas slammed today’s long-term care re-announcement for failing to address serious problems in Ontario’s long-term care homes.

“If you do the math on today’s budget re-announcement, residents of long-term care homes may receive an extra 2 minutes of hands-on care per day. To achieve a guaranteed 3.5 hours of daily care -- the level of care recommended by most experts -- at least one hour of increased care is needed,” said Gélinas, MPP for Nickel Belt.

Despite government funding increases, the Ontario Health Coalition reports that since 2003 the McGuinty Liberals’ failure to ensure accountability in long-term care homes has resulted in hands-on care levels remaining stagnant and below recommended standards.

“Under the McGuinty Liberals’ watch, Ontarians have seen no improvements in long-term care. Instead, the average daily hands-on care has stagnated and 75 per cent of long-term care homes are not meeting government standards. We must make long-term care homes more accountable and transparent by tying funding directly to increased hands-on care,” said Gélinas.

“With the Ombudsman’s office now investigating the government’s handling of long-term care, you’d think the McGuinty Liberals would do better than re-announce a five-month-old promise that will only give seniors an extra 2 minutes of care per day,” said Gélinas.