{"id":16753,"date":"2021-04-29T14:16:43","date_gmt":"2021-04-29T18:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/?p=16753"},"modified":"2025-03-20T14:28:39","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T18:28:39","slug":"release-we-are-outraged-health-coalition-slams-ford-governments-response-to-auditor-general-on-ltc-no-responsibility-taken-for-the-among-the-worst-death-rates-in-the-worl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/index.php\/release-we-are-outraged-health-coalition-slams-ford-governments-response-to-auditor-general-on-ltc-no-responsibility-taken-for-the-among-the-worst-death-rates-in-the-worl\/","title":{"rendered":"RELEASE:<\/FONT> \u201cWe are outraged\u201d: Health Coalition slams Ford government\u2019s response to Auditor General on LTC, No responsibility taken for the among the worst death rates in the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

(April 29, 2021)<\/p>\n

The Minister of Long-Term Care\u2019s response to yesterday\u2019s Auditor General\u2019s long-term care report<\/a> <\/span>has left LTC families and advocates livid, reported the Ontario Health Coalition. Minister Fullerton, who has never taken responsibility for the almost 4,000 residents and staff who have died from COVID-19 in Ontario\u2019s LTC homes, claimed that the government has worked quickly to address the problems. Yet the Ford government itself, cancelled and has never reinstated yearly surprise inspections, is not planning to increase care levels significantly until 4-years from now, has not held any long-term care home accountable for negligence, and has not imposed any accountability for the increases in funding to ensure they go to care rather than profit.<\/p>\n

Media at the press conference<\/span><\/a> repeatedly asked the Minister what responsibility she is willing to take for the horrific inadequacy in care and infection control and what actions the Ford government could have taken to address the problems. In 25 minutes of speaking, the Minister did not identify one single shortfall in the Ford government\u2019s response, repeatedly blaming everyone else.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are outraged,\u201d said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. \u201cAll the Ford government has done is deny, deflect and dissemble. If the Minister is not capable of taking responsibility, of expressing any sincere contrition for the Ford government\u2019s record which is among the very worst record of long-term care fatalities in the world, then they are incapable of learning and changing. That is certainly what we have seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe care levels in Ontario\u2019s long-term care homes remain absolutely atrocious.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Coalition hears from hundreds of families each month and the stories from all across Ontario are both heartbreaking and infuriating. Staffing is so low that residents are going without wound care, baths, time to be fed, time for human interaction, the ability to go outside. Family after family reports residents left alone in their rooms for hours on end. Staff report that they can never provide the care they know the residents need.<\/p>\n