{"id":18508,"date":"2022-03-08T11:12:44","date_gmt":"2022-03-08T16:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/?p=18508"},"modified":"2022-03-08T11:45:07","modified_gmt":"2022-03-08T16:45:07","slug":"fact-sheet-why-stop-the-privatization-of-long-term-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/index.php\/fact-sheet-why-stop-the-privatization-of-long-term-care\/","title":{"rendered":"FACT SHEET:<\/FONT> Why Stop the Privatization of Long-Term Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

(March 8, 2022)<\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

How Long-Term Care is Being Privatized<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

There have been two big initiatives to privatize LTC in Ontario in recent decades:<\/p>\n

In 1998, Ontario\u2019s Conservative Mike H<\/span>arris<\/span><\/a> government built 20,000 new long-term care beds and allocated the majority of them to for-profit corporations, including large chain companies. This tipped the balance from a majority public and non-profit LTC in Ontario to a majority for-profit LTC. Mike Harris went on to become the chair of Chartwell<\/a><\/span>, one of the large for-profit LTC chain companies.<\/p>\n

Now, the Ford government<\/a> <\/span>is building more than 30,000 new and rebuilt LTC beds, and a majority of them are allocated to for-profit chains. The top ten bed winners are all for-profit chains, including those with the very worst records for resident deaths, negligence, and inadequate care.<\/p>\n

Why LTC Should Not Be Private<\/span><\/h4>\n

Public money and residents\u2019 fees go to profit versus care<\/strong><\/p>\n

All LTC homes are funded by the public through taxes and residents\u2019 fees for their beds. For public and non-profit homes<\/a><\/span>, money goes to improving care, programs, and services for residents. In municipal homes<\/a><\/span>, additional property tax money goes into improving care levels and better wages and working conditions for staff.<\/p>\n

For-profit homes spend 24% less per year<\/a> <\/span>on care for each resident than for non-profit homes. Profit is removed<\/a><\/span> from public funding and residents\u2019 fees for investors and shareholders. In fact, the for-profit chains report to their shareholders that they are taking tens of millions of dollars<\/span><\/a> out of the homes in profits every single month.<\/p>\n

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed horrific negligence in the for-profit homes compared to public and non-profit homes<\/strong><\/p>\n