Crushing The People Who Care

Family and friend caregivers are the bedrock of Ontario’s caring system. They are

also the least valued by the Ontario government.

As the Ontario Government continues to hand out lucrative Home Care contracts to friends and supporters, Ontario still has no Paid Family Caregiver option under Home Care that would support the people who care and give the most.

For almost five years now, Seniors for Social Action Ontario has urged this government to follow the lead of Newfoundland and Labrador and the government of the Northwest Territories and introduce a Paid Family Caregiver Program.  Doing so would help to ease the significant financial burden that caregivers face.  Below is a graphic gratefully provided by the Ontario Caregiver Coalition, a partner organization of SSAO, showing that almost 80% of caregivers receive no financial assistance at all.

Contrast that with the billions that the Ford government has directed to the predominantly for-profit long-term care industry in Ontario that has consistently failed to meet legislated standards for decades.  And contrast it with the questionable Home Care contracts it is awarding.

Read more at Seniors For Social Action (Ontario)