Huron-Bruce MPP presses government to improve wait-times for long-term care beds

The province needs to ensure that people in rural Ontario have access to long-term care beds that don't take them hours and hundreds of kilometers away from their families, friends and communities, says Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson.
 
In Question Period Thursday, Thompson pointed out to the health minister Eric Hoskins that in rural Ontario, long-term care beds are often lacking in numbers, forcing people in need to take the first bed available, which can mean being hours away from their loved ones.
 
"People want to know that they will be able to live their lives in the company of family and friends, not isolated and without the love and support of those they know," says Thompson. "It's a shame that more hasn't been done by this government to ensure that seniors in need of long-term care are kept within their communities."
 
According to the Southwest LHIN, in Huron and Bruce counties, fewer than five beds become available each month at long-term care facilities, while wait-lists exceed those numbers.
 
"People live healthier, happier lives when they have the love, care and support of family and friends close by," says Thompson. "Many people entering long-term care are normally doing so because their health has deteriorated, and removing those supports does nothing to help improve their condition."
 
To view Thompson's question, click here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN_Dc1NWqOk