Press Release: Queen’s Park Breaks Promise on Home & Community Care Funding

Queen’s Park Breaks Promise on Home and Community Care Funding…

June 18, 2003 – Toronto: “The Eves Government’s unfulfilled funding promise is destroying home and community care in Ontario”, according to CARP, Canada’s Association for the Fifty Plus.

It is not acceptable that:

  • Over 115,000 patients/clients and thousands of family caregivers are being deprived of necessary services and have lost more than 6 million hours of service in homecare in 2001/02 alone.
  • Money is being doled out in spurts, inhibiting proper management of the home and community care system.

The Ontario Government must live up to its 1998 commitment to increase annual funding for home and community care by half a billion dollars by 2006 – so far, only half of this amount has been allotted.

People want to stay in their homes and communities. But, inadequate funding is making this increasingly impossible.

Home care was a key feature of the First Ministers’ Accord earlier this year. Also, the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care has highlighted it as its number one strategic priority. And yet, we saw no mention of this health care sector in the recent Throne Speech or budget .

CARP’s message to Premier Eves: Restore The Promised Funding for Home and Community Care!

For information/interviews with CARP representatives:
Judy Cutler
Director of Communictions/Co-Director of Advocacy
416 363-8748 ext. 241
[email protected]