Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates was at Queen's Park today highlighting the crisis in the region's long-term care homes and in-home care system.
Gates shared stories of Niagara residents who say they have been denied access to home care, and face long waits for a long-term care bed.
Gates says because of the Ford government’s 'underfunding of home care' families in Niagara are making the tough decision to move their loved ones into long-term care, only to discover they’ll have to wait three years.
“This pandemic has blown the lid off the crisis in our long-term care system. This government should've known about the crisis before that point. So I rise today to tell you about the crisis in homecare and long-term care in Niagara - this way you can never pretend that no one ever told you,” said Gates during question period Tuesday.
''Unfortunately there are wait lists of up to nearly three years for beds in certain homes in our community. This is unacceptable. Seniors in our community should get care when they need it. This situation is the definition of a crisis.”
"There is a long-time community volunteer who lives in St. David’s. His wife needs care. Her loving husband wants to care for her but he can't because of he needs to recover from his own major surgery. His wife has dementia and he's been her sole caregiver for three years. Because of the lack of funding for the LHIN her funding doesn't cover enough to care for her and she's going to have to leave her home. Why can't people in this province access the care they need to stay in their home?” Gates asked the premier.