The three scariest parts of Ford’s new long-term care scheme

QUEEN’S PARK — Wayne Gates, Ontario NDP critic for Long-Term Care, Home Care and Retirement Homes, is listing the three most troubling parts of Premier Doug Ford’s new long-term care legislation:

1. WITHOUT CONSENT. Contrary to Long Term Care Minister Paul Calandra’s claims, the legislation will allow seniors waiting in hospitals to be moved to far away long-term care homes without their consent. The bill reads: “This new provision authorizes certain actions to be carried out without the consent of these patients.”
2. EVERYTHING BUT PHYSICAL RESTRAINTS. A dim picture of moving seniors without their consent is painted when the government has to specifically rule out physically binding a senior with restraints when it comes to forcing them to move to a nursing home they don’t want to go to. The bill reads: “The section does not authorize the use of restraints in order to carry out the actions or the physical transfer of an ALC patient to a long-term care home without their consent.”
3. NO LIMITS ON HOW FAR AWAY SENIORS WILL BE SENT. The legislation includes no restriction on how far away they can send a senior, leaving geographic restrictions to regulations. The regulations aren’t written yet, and can be written and re-written with the stroke of the premier’s pen behind closed doors.

“Doug Ford’s long-term care scheme is terrifying for families,” said Gates. “Consent is not required. Families have no idea just how far away their loved one could be moved in the final years of their life. And it’s pretty obvious the Conservative government knows that seniors will be moved against their will, because they’re already making rules against physically restraining people to move them.”