Ontario long-term care patients can be transferred 150 kilometres away under new rules

Ontario long-term care patients can be transferred 150 kilometres away under new rules

Click the link above to read the full article.

The author of this article is Jeff Gray who covers Queen's Park for The Globe and Mail. He started at The Globe in 1998.

Many of us face this challenge. Whether you are a senior planning or deciding what the future might hold or an adult with senior parents trying to plan, it can be very stressful. We see both sides all the time when working with our clients. This new legislation does not help make that any easier. Our takeaway from this article is that planning for the potential of long term care or future care that may be required has never been more important. It is one thing to plan ahead financially but more important is to plan and prepare for WHERE you want to go and HOW you can get there. The thought of having to move away from family and friends - especially up to 150km is not only stressful for seniors, but for their families as well.

The new legislation according to the article states: 

Ontario hospitals will be able to temporarily enroll elderly patients in long-term care homes they did not choose within a 70-kilometre radius from their preferred facility in Southern Ontario – and a 150-kilometre radius in Northern Ontario – while charging those who refuse to leave a $400-a-day fee.

The province says the legislation, fast-tracked through the legislature last month, is needed to free up hospital beds and address the overcrowding in its buckling health care system.

Advocates for seniors and opposition politicians at Queen’s Park have warned for weeks that Bill 7 would see frail seniors and their families coerced by the threat of massive bills into accepting spots in long-term care homes far from loved ones – or that lack air conditioning or suffered high death rates in the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Calandra had repeatedly dismissed their criticism as “fear-mongering.” But until Wednesday, he would not say precisely what guidelines would apply when hospitals use the new powers.

Our intention by sharing this article is not politically motivated at all. Rather to stress the importance of having a plan and being prepared for the unexpected. As a senior, plan and prepare on your terms for how the future would look if more care was needed and where you want to spend that time. As an adult with senior parents, having these conversations can be tough. In our experience, bringing in a trusted third party person (often outside the family) can help get the conversation started.

As with anything, there are good long-term care facilities and ones that have poor records. Having these conversations sooner rather than later will give you or your loved ones a better chance of not having to worry about being placed somewhere further away then necessary.

The article linked and mentioned above was published on September 14, 2022 and written by Jeff Gray. Check out more about Jeff at his profile on The Globe and Mail.