Thread by @broadbent

It took a global pandemic to expose the crisis in Canada’s #LTC homes. Here’s why it’s essential to remove profit from care. THREAD:
#CDNpoli #LTCs

1. At 69%, Canada has had the highest number of #COVID deaths in long-term care among G7 countries.

2. Decades of underinvestment + privatization has broken Canada’s #LTC system, leading to higher costs, lower staff to residents ratio & fewer resources.

3. Residents in for-profit #LTCs receive fewer hours of direct care than residents in not-for-profit homes–a result of fewer hires and under-resourcing.

4. Acc to a study published in @CMA_Docs, for-profit #LTC homes in Ontario had worse COVID outbreaks and more deaths than non-profit and municipally-run LTCs. cbc.ca/news/canada/to…

5. A @TorontoStar investigation in Aug 2020 found that the largest operator of private nursing homes received $21M in wage subsidies, which it gave to its top shareholders as dividends.
thestar.com/news/canada/20…

6. Currently, the top priority of for-profit homes is being accountable to their shareholders - they will always direct money away from internal operations that would improve residents’ quality of life if management views those expenditures will reduce their shareholders’ ROI.

7. In our Medicare 2.0 report, we lay down recommendations to reform Canada’s LTC system, and give our seniors the care they deserve. broadbentinstitute.ca/medicare_2_0

8. Recommendations include:
👉Bringing LTC into the public healthcare system, following the Canada Health Act to fund them the same way we fund hospitals/physicians.

Continued below⬇️

👉Increasing staffing levels
👉 .@LindaSilas says LTC homes must ensure a min 4.5 hours of direct care per resident each day: thestar.com/business/opini…

The LIBs have promised a $9 billion investment in #LTC over 5 years, while the NDP have promised to take profit out of LTC and include it in the Canada Health Act. #elxn44 #CDNpoli