Policy Paper: Ensuring Quality Care For All Seniors

The provision of seniors care should be subject to the principles and criteria in the Canada Health Act to ensure an inclusive and integrated approach to seniors care across Canada. [...] Despite the growth in the population of seniors and the resulting increased need for long-term care, the number of beds and long-term care facilities across Canada decreased between 2005 and 2014.38 In Ontario, there are 34,000 people on the waitlist for long-term care, with an average wait time of 143 days (i.e. [...] In a recent report, the Levels of Care Expert Panel recommended that the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care adopt a “levels of care” framework to guide home and community care service delivery. [...] In a survey of health care professionals and the general public, over 75% of respondents saw “connected care technology” as an important tool to improve home care services.77 These technologies usually refer to the sharing of health care data among health care professionals and agencies as part of a move towards more integrated health services. [...] RECOMMENDATIONS To ensure seniors in Canada have equitable access to the full continuum of care they require to live with health and dignity, the Canadian Health Coalition recommends the following actions: A National Seniors Care Strategy First and foremost, Canada needs a National Seniors Care Strategy to establish consistent funding, standards of care and staffing levels across federal, provinci.