Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the provinces have ``failed to support our seniors'' and suggests the federal government is ready to step up by bringing in ``national standards.''
He was commenting on a new study out today that found the proportion of Canadian COVID-19 deaths that have occurred in long-term care facilities is about twice the average of rates from other developed nations.
The analysis released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information provides a damning snapshot of senior care as of May 25th, when LTC residents made up 81 per cent of all reported COVID-19 deaths in the country.
That compared to an average of 42 per cent among all countries studied.
The proportion of L-T-C deaths ranged from less than 10 per cent in Slovenia and Hungary to 31 per cent in the United States to 66 per cent in Spain.
Trudeau says Ottawa is committed to working with the premiers on supporting long-term care centres whether it's by bringing in national standards, by extra funding, or by looking at the Canada Health Act.
He says it's very clear that our current system of supporting our seniors across this country has not worked.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford today called on the federal government to provide more immediate support, telling Trudeau: ``Put your money where your mouth is.''
But Ford also questioned the institute's focus on the proportion of COVID-19 deaths linked to long-term care homes when Canada's actual number of deaths - which he says is now up to 6,900 - is far lower than Spain's count, listed in the report as 17,730 on May 25th.
He says the comparisons are a little unfair.
Researchers point to limitations that prevent some comparisons, countries vary in COVID-19 testing and reporting practices, and in their definition of long-term care.
In addition, COVID-19 cases are often under-reported and in the case of Italy, data was available from only 52 per cent of the nursing homes operating in the country.