Advocates say Ontario budget lacks funding details on long-term care promise

Health care advocates are criticizing the Ontario government for not providing any funding details in its budget for a key pledge to improve long-term care standards.

The government promised to increase the daily direct care time for residents of long-term care from less than three hours a day to four hours a day.

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario and the Canadian Union of Public Employees say that promise will require investment.

But they point out that the budget unveiled by the Ford’s government on Thursday has no spending estimates or detailed funding commitment.

They say the government must show how it plans to pay for the measure and provide a detailed implementation strategy.

The new standard was introduced as a way to address problems in long-term care homes, which have been hit hard by COVID-19.

As of Friday, 2,050 of Ontario’s 3,209 COVID-19 deaths were in residents of long-term care.

Ford has said it will take until 2024-2025 to implement the direct care measure because it will require the province to hire thousands of workers.