Job losses at Au Chateau, a 160-bed long-term care home in Sturgeon Falls, appear to be on the horizon as provincial government cuts hit the facility.
In a news release this afternoon, MPP John Vantof says "Doug Ford’s cuts to long-term care will rip $230,000 away from Au Château in 2020."
He says families are already concerned about the level of care their loved ones receive after years of Liberal underfunding.
“Long-term care staff are already run off their feet. Our parents and grandparents already are not getting enough one-on-one help and support to protect their hygiene, prevent falls and give them the best quality of life. Doug Ford’s planned cuts will just make matters worse,” said the NDP member from Timiskaming-Cochrane.
Vantof says the government plans to cancel the "High Wage Transition Fund," which helps pay for staff wages, and the "Structural Compliance Premium" fund, which helps keep long-term care homes up to modern standards.
The cuts are scheduled for Oct. 1. and together, the cuts amount to more than $34 million being taken from long-term care homes annually.
The $230,000 cut at Au Château could have a direct impact on resident care says administrator Jacques Dupuis.
“We need these funds as we will have no choice but to cut front line staff and this is unacceptable as we are already running at low levels,” he said. “The minister needs to revisit these cuts, reverse her decision, and address staffing in long-term care by properly funding our sector which has been overlooked for far too long.
"We have serious concerns in providing quality of care to our residents as a result of these cuts.," Dupuis told BayToday. "These two long-standing funds are being used for staffing and minor repairs and we still use and need these funds today. The $230,000 impact means that we will be starting the 2020 year in a deficit, and if removed, we may have no choice but to cut services, and we do not want to do this."
At the same time, the resident’s co-payment fees will increase by 2.3 per cent, which is one of the highest price hikes in the last decade. A middle class senior in care will pay about $500 more a year as a result.
