Ontario announced today that it plans to more than double the number of inspectors at long-term care facilities, and inject an additional $12 million into inspections.
The move follows multiple reports of abuse, neglect and safety violations at nursing homes.
Health and long-term care minister Deb Matthews made the announcement at the O’Neill Centre long-term care home in Toronto, saying the province plans to hire 100 extra inspectors, bringing the total to 180.
In the Waterloo-Wellington area, an elder abuse response team investigates complaints.
According to Arlen Groh, who works to prevent elder abuse, the number of incidents that team responds to has increased, both in long-term care homes and in the community.
Groh says she’s happy the government is hiring more inspectors, but would like to see more money spent on hiring staff at long-term care homes.
“[Hiring more workers is] what’s going to prevent abuse,” she says.
“If you have sufficient people to care for these residents in a good way, plus education.”
At Queen’s Park, opposition MPPs expressed skepticism at the announcement.
NDP health critic France Gélinas pointed out the government made a similar promise in 2010, with little result.
A recent study found that only 20 per cent of nursing homes in Ontario are receiving an annual inspection.
