Ontario Health Coalition
15 Gervais Drive Suite 201 M3C 1Y8 Toronto, ON, Canada

"TOTAL DISRESPECT": LTC RESIDENTS, FAMILIES & STAFF INCENSED THAT PREMIER FORD DODGED QUESTION PERIOD TODAY WHILE HUNDREDS WAITED FOR COMMITMENTS TO IMPROVE CARE More than 570 families, residents, staff and supporters registered to virtually fill the galleries of the Ontario Legislature for Question Period today. Thousands more watched on the Ontario Health Coalition’s Facebook livestream. They came to hear the Ford government answer their questions and demands for vital impr...Continue reading

We miss you. We love you. You mattered. We will not forget. We will not stop fighting. FordNation #FordFailedSeniors

May 18 PACK THE ONTARIO LEGISLATURE PUBLIC GALLERIES ON LONG-TERM CAREThis is what you can do to make it as powerful as possible on social media tomorrow (TUESDAY MAY 18): Let's show Premier Doug Ford & his Ministers that they can’t get away from our questions and continue to do nothing to fix LTC. Here's how to participate tomorrow (Tuesday, May 18, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) Join us at https://www.facebook.com/ontariohealth to watch the livestream from Queen’s Park beginnin...g at 10:30 AM EST as the Opposition Parties question Premier Ford & his Ministers. Our media scrum with reactions will be on the livestream at 12 p.m. immediately following Question Period. Post an image of a flower or a candle and a message to commemorate all those who have been lost - an example is shown below Use the hashtag #FordFailedSeniors so it trends on social media Mail or email your MPP and tell them that things MUST change in Long-Term Care - find their address here: https://www.ola.org/en/get-involved/contact-mpp

BY NO MEASURE ARE THEY UNDER CONTROL: LARGE OUTBREAKS OF COVID-19 IN LONG-TERM CARE, HOSPITALS, RETIREMENT HOMES ESCALATING SHARPLY- NEW TRACKING REPORT The number of large COVID-19 outbreaks in health care settings is escalating sharply reports the Ontario Health Coalition. Despite the rhetoric by political leaders minimizing the spread of COVID-19 in recent weeks, the Coalition’s new tracking report shows alarming numbers infected in the spread of the virus through large ...Continue reading

URGENT: PLEASE HELP US GATHER INFORMATION ON HOMES WITH LARGE OUTBREAKS We are looking to survey staff who are working at any of the following homes that are currently experiencing large outbreaks. We would like to do these quick surveys by phone or by email. Extremely time sensitive, we are hoping to get these done by today if possible. If anyone knows someone who works at any of these homes, or if you work at one of these homes, please contact us by fb messenger/twitter ...dm or email: [email protected]. Please provide us your name, phone number and home you work at and we will contact you as soon as possible. Thank you so much for your help, it is truly appreciated. P.S all information will be kept strictly confidential, we will not publicize your response and none of your personal information will be released nor stored. LIST OF HOMES WITH LARGE OUTBREAKS EASTERN ONTARIO (EXCLUDING OTTAWA) Prescott and Russell Residence LTC HALTON Allendale LTC Chartwell Waterford LTC Post Inn Village LTC Wyndham Manor LTC HAMILTON Baywoods Place LTC Chartwell Willowgrove Long Term Care Grace Villa Hamilton Continuing Care LTC Idlewyld Manor LTC St. Joseph’s Villa Long Term Care Home NIAGARA Gilmore Lodge LTC Millennium Trail Manor LTC OTTAWA Extendicare Starwood LTC Forest Hill LTC Laurier Manor LTC Longfields Manor LTC St. Patrick’s Home LTC The Glebe Centre Long-Term Care West End Villa LTC PEEL Extendicare Brampton Hawthorn Woods Care Community Tyndall Seniors Village Nursing Home Villa Forum Woodhall Park Care Community SIMCOE MUSKOKA DISTRICT Simcoe Manor LTC THUNDERBAY Southbridge Roseview Manor TORONTO PUBLIC HEALTH Craiglee Nursing Home Extendicare Rouge Valley LTC Fairview Nursing Home Fieldstone Commons Care Community LTC Fudger House LTC Harmony Hills Care Community Kennedy Lodge LTC Lakeside Long Term Care Centre Main Street Terrace LTC North Park Nursing Home Norwood Nursing Home Rockcliffe Care Community LTC Shepherd Lodge Nursing Home Suomi-Koti Toronto Nursing Home Vermont Square LTC Westside Long Term Care Home WINDSOR Iler Lodge Long Term Care Home Riverside Place LTC YORK Amica Unionville Chartwell Pine Grove LTC King City Nursing Home Langstaff Square Care Community LTC Villa Colombo Vaughan Di Poce Centre

HEALTH CARE OUTBREAKS DRAMATICALLY ESCALATING: NEW TRACKING REPORT Tracking the Spread of COVID-19: COVID Numbers in Health Care Outbreaks Escalating Dramatically Release Date: November 19, 2020...Continue reading

UPDATED REPORT ON THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 IN WORKPLACES (EXCLUDING HEALTH CARE) AND SCHOOLS SHOWS HUGE GROWTH IN SCHOOLS, RETAIL/RESTAURANTS/ENTERTAINMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICES Toronto -- As Ontario has introduced new measures to try to minimize the spread of COVID-19 with Peel and Toronto entering lockdown and Hamilton, Waterloo, Durham, Halton and York enforcing stricter regulations, it is important to evaluate the spread of the disease in workplaces and schools in the weeks...Continue reading

OHC STATEMENT: TODAY 11:30 AM EVENT AT PARLIAMENT HILL FOR LTC There is an event organized by the families who have lost loved ones today calling for national standards in long-term care being held on the lawn of Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Families and friends of the deceased will be laying out thousands of shoes on Parliament Hill to symbolize those who have been lost in long-term care. They called the event "Broken Hearts, Empty Shoes"....Continue reading

Sue-Ann Levy of the Toronto Sun, who has written about her own parents' experiences in LTC, hauls Premier Ford and Minister Fullerton out on the carpet for breaking their promises to fix LTC. "Either Premier Doug Ford and Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton have very short memories or they don’t really give much of a damn about vulnerable seniors, or both." Sue-Ann Levy Lawyer Gary Will of Will Davidson said instead of enforcing standards now or in the past, the govern...ment has given negligent long-term care homes immunity from lawsuits. That’s the worst thing they can do, he said. Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, told a press conference Monday morning, just hours before the legislation passed, that they are seeing LTC homes where testing is too slow, where residents are kept in the same room for days as residents with COVID-like symptoms, along with homes that provide no isolation of residents who are COVID-positive and limited access to PPE. There are homes that are also dissuading staff from using N-95 masks even when working with COVID-positive residents, she said. We are seeing staffing crumble, she said. It’s been bad for years but this is the worst I’ve ever seen. She said families of residents are even calling out for the military to come in and help again noting that there are nine homes with more than 100 seniors infected.

QUICK UPDATE: BILL 218 JUST PASSED The Ontario Legislature just voted on Bill 218, the law that indemnifies for-profit long-term care homes among other for liability for their negligence in the pandemic. The Ford government MPPs voted for Bill 218 and the NDP and Liberals voted against it. The Bill passed. One of the Opposition Parties (I could not see who on the livestream) requested a recorded vote: the result was 52 ayes and 38 nays. The NDP had brought an amendment earl...ier in the Standing Committee to carve out long-term care and retirement homes that the Conservative MPPs used their majority to vote down. The message to the long-term care industry is that they will not be held legally liable for negligence and that they are not required even to act with the normal requirement which, prior to this law, would have required a reasonable and competent effort to protect residents from harm from COVID-19. It is reprehensible that the Ford government has passed this legislation. The lawsuits will go ahead. The lawyers I have heard from are refiling their claims as "gross negligence". It will be a steeper hill to climb but they intend to try to climb it on behalf of their clients who are the families who have lost loved ones. We will pursue our complaint to the Integrity Commissioner. It is our position that the government MPPs, including a number of government Ministers, Premier and other MPPs who brought this bill forward and voted for it, have received donations and have close ties with the for-profit long-term care industry, and that these should be investigated for conflict-of-interest and those MPPs should have recused themselves from the vote. I also want to add a note for those who are not aware. The Ford government has changed the rules of the Legislature to limit debate to just a few hours. It would have been impossible to pass this Bill so quickly before they did that. They also limited the public hearings to just one part-day, cutting out more than four dozen people, including family members of the deceased, from even being heard. The hearings were not televised, which I have never seen before, and the media could not watch them. These decisions are profoundly undemocratic, not to mention callous. To the families who are directly impacted: we feel your heartbreak and your anger. We promise to continue to do everything we can do to improve care, protect those who rely on our health care system for their care, and finally achieve some accountability and justice for all that has happened. I am sorry to report such bad news. We will keep you apprised as we figure out next steps. Please stay safe, Natalie Mehra Executive Director

I am looking for information on Starwood long-term care home in Ottawa. Specifically, if there are any family members or staff who have any information on the a...ctual conditions in the home during the outbreak -- for example, are there enough staff/do they have appropriate PPE including access to N95 masks/were COVID-positive residents left in rooms with COVID-negative residents/were there residents wandering into and out of COVID "hot zones"/were residents or staff in contact with others inappropriately while waiting for test results? Basically I am trying to understand the conditions that may have contributed to the devastating spread of COVID-19 in this home. Please direct message me in Messenger if you like or leave a comment below if you have any first-hand knowledge of what has happened there. Thank you very much. See more

OUR BEST CHANCE RIGHT NOW TO WIN A MINIMUM CARE STANDARD IN LONG-TERM CARE is coming up in four days when Bill 13 the Time to Care Act will be introduced for Second Reading in the Ontario Legislature. Please help by telling your MPP to pass the Bill. It is easy. Just call or email your MPP and ask them to vote in favour of Bill 13 the Time to Care Act. It is a Private Member's Bill that has been introduced by MPP Teresa Armstrong (NDP, London Fanshawe riding). It would requir...e the government to implement an enforceable minimum care standard of an average of 4-hours of hands-on daily care in long-term care homes. This would be a considerable improvement on what we have now (about 2.7 hours of care) and is supported by the best available evidence about what would make care levels safe for residents and staff alike. We all know that the care levels are too low and staffing is in critical shortages. For years, governments have adopted "voluntary measures" and a future target of 4-hours. Enough is enough. We need care now. This is what you can do: Call or email your MPP. A full list of Ontario MPPs is here: https://www.ola.org/en/members/current To help -- you can tell them you want them to vote to pass Bill 13 the Time to Care Act and that you think it is a top priority to get a minimum care standard in long-term care homes now. You can add anything you would like about how you are concerned about the woefully inadequate care in the homes and make the message your own. What is important is that they get tons of messages from voters. Please do it within the next four days. Sooner is better! Thank you.

HEALTH COALITION REQUESTS INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER INVESTIGATE POLITICAL DONATIONS & HIGH-LEVEL PERSONNEL LINKS BETWEEN FOR-PROFIT LTC INDUSTRY AND FORD GOV'T PRIOR TO PASSAGE OF LEGAL LIABILITY BILL Today, the Ontario Health Coalition submitted a complaint to the Integrity Commissioner to investigate political donations and high-level personnel links between the for-profit long-term care industry and key ministers & MPPs in the Ford Government prior to the passage of Bill 218...Continue reading

QUICK RESPONSE & ANALYSIS OF LONG-TERM CARE COMMISSION'S INTERIM RECOMMENDATIONS HEALTH COALITION SUPPORTS INTERIM RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LONG-TERM CARE COMMISSION: CALLS ON FORD GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT THEM IMMEDIATELY Toronto The Ford government’s Long-Term Care Commission’s interim recommendations support the need for immediate action on improving care levels by increasing the supply of PSWs and an appropriate staff mix including nurses to meet the complex care needs of re...Continue reading

ONE LAST URGENT PUSH TO TRY TO STOP BILL 218 THAT INDEMNIFIES FOR-PROFIT LTC FROM LIABILITY FOR NEGLIGENCE IN COVID-19 Bill 218, which makes it more difficult to sue for-profit long-term care and retirement homes, is scheduled for Third (and final) Reading in the Legislature on Tuesday but late Friday we were advised that the matter may come on for a vote as early as Monday afternoon. We are launching a complaint to the Integrity Commissioner to look into conflicts of intere...Continue reading

Talk vs. action: Doug Ford’s inadequate response to the second wave of COVID-19 by Sheila Block, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives -- just released. An excellent short primer on how Ontario's funding of health care during the pandemic has been far lower than other large provinces, compounded by historically very low funding. A must read! See it here: https://behindthenumbers.ca//talk-vs-action-doug-fords-in/ Sheila is speaking at our Assembly tomorrow if you want to h...ear her give a more in-depth overview. Go to our website or Facebook page and click on the link to the OHC Action Assembly to register by the end of the day today. Ontario entered the pandemic with an overburdened health system, as health care has been a frequent target for the austerity policies of successive Ontario governments. Since the pandemic began, the Ford government has failed to increase spending to address the increased health care needs introduced... See more

Expert, courageous, tireless. This panel joins experts and advocates on the front lines of the fight for better care to lead a discussion about the important lessons from the first wave of COVID-19. 1 DAY LEFT TO REGISTER- ANNUAL ACTION ASSEMBLY OCTOBER 24 1 P.M. - 2:30 P.M. : CLOSING PLENARY: LESSON FROM THE FIRST WAVE AND ACTION PLAN FINALIZATION AND ADJOURNMENT ... REGISTER HERE: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca//event-2020-annual-/

1 DAY LEFT TO REGISTER- ANNUAL ACTION ASSEMBLY OCTOBER 24 9 A.M. - 10 A.M. : OPENING PLENARY: QUCIK BRIEF ON TRACKING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 AND ACTION PLAN DISCUSSION AND ANNUAL REPORT REGISTER HERE: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca//event-2020-annual-/

What is going on with federal and provincial funding for health care? These experts will walk us through the facts and the myths, where the money is going, and whether it is enough. A primer that will help everyone get a handle on where we are at, where we are going, and what we need to do. 1 DAY LEFT TO REGISTER- ANNUAL ACTION ASSEMBLY OCTOBER 24 11 A.M. - 12 A.M. : THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR: WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL FUNDING FOR HEALTH CARE?... REGISTER HERE: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca//event-2020-annual-/

They were directly involved in the Charter Challenge court case brought by private clinics to bring down public medicare laws. The private clinics lost last month. But what happens next? Hear the insiders' account of the trial and the verdict, and what is happening in the struggle to protect public medicare from the privateers across Canada. 1 DAY LEFT TO REGISTER- ANNUAL ACTION ASSEMBLY OCTOBER 24 11 A.M. - 12 A.M. : VICTORY AGAINST FOR PROFIT CLINICS IN B.C. COURT CHALLENGE...: WHAT NEXT REGISTER HERE: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca//event-2020-annual-/

The large for-profit long-term care chains are responsible for most of the deaths that have happened in care homes during the pandemic. The public is disgusted. But the lack of accountability for the for-profit operators continues. Join this expert panel to hear about what the industry is doing and the campaign, never stronger, to stop for-profit care for once and for all. 1 DAY LEFT TO REGISTER- ANNUAL ACTION ASSEMBLY OCTOBER 24 10 A.M. - 11 A.M. : REVERA INC. AND FOR-PROFIT... LONG-TERM CARE : LESSONS FROM COVID-19 REGISTER HERE: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca//event-2020-annual-/

These are powerful veterans at the top of their unions who have been all over the news, in the hallways of power, in the courts and in the streets, fighting for workers' rights, access to PPE, an end to for-profit care. Not just in the most recent pandemic, but during SARS, Ebola, H1N1 and in between. This is a chance to hear the behind-the-scenes top-level discussion on what is happening on the ground now and the lessons from the struggle to save workers' lives. 1 DAY LEFT T...O REGISTER- ANNUAL ACTION ASSEMBLY OCTOBER 24 10 A.M. - 11 A.M. : FIGHTING FOR HEALTH CARE WORKER'S RIGHTS, EXPERIENCES UNDER COVID-19 AND SARS REGISTER HERE: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca//event-2020-annual-/

FORD GOV'T'S NEW LAW SHIELD FOR-PROFIT LONG-TERM CARE HOMES FROM LIABILITY The Ford government has introduced legislation that would make it significantly harder for residents and families to hold long-term care homes liable for harm resulting from exposure to and infection with COVID-19. The legislation covers any individual, corporation or entity and includes the crown (which means the government and its agencies). Bill 218, which was both introduced in the Ontario Legislat...Continue reading

A distinguished panel of lawyers and the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition lay out the human rights and legal issues regarding health care for the elderly in Ontario today and make a powerful case about the abrogations of human and legal rights prior to COVID and during the pandemic. Don't miss it! Registration is filling up quickly. 1 DAY LEFT TO REGISTER- ANNUAL ACTION ASSEMBLY OCTOBER 24 10 A.M. - 11 A.M. : HUMAN RIGHTS, DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE ELDERLY ...AND ONTARIO'S HEALTH CUTS REGISTER HERE: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca//event-2020-annual-/

1 WEEK TO REGISTER! GREAT LINE UP FOR ANNUAL HEALTH ACTION VIRTUAL ASSEMBLY There is just one week left for registration for our Annual Health Action Assembly. We are really pleased because we have a really amazing set of guest speakers and are looking forward to seeing you all there! Please see below for the full list of speakers including new ones and the full agenda. If you are having any issues with registering please email us your email, phone number, organization nam...Continue reading