Taxpayers would pay for on-site service for seniors: Matthews

Aurora Banner
March 20, 2014
By Sean Pearce

York Region’s taxpayers will have to find a way to fund the program if it wants on-site care for high-risk senior citizens to continue, Health Minister Deb Matthews told yorkregion.com Tuesday.

Far from cutting service, the province's assisted living for high-risk seniors policy will improve care for York's senior population, Ms Matthews insisted, adding the additional $5-million investment by the Central Local Health Integration Network means even more people will be eligible for care, regardless of where they live, thanks to the establishment of 625 more assisted-living spaces.

Despite many concerns raised in recent months by seniors and disabled persons fearful of what the transition from on-site care through the region's ACL program to a hub-and-spoke model provided by Community and Home Assistance To Seniors (CHATS) and CareFirst will mean for the quality of their lives, Ms Matthews rejected the notion the looming switch-over equated to a service reduction.

Instead, she pointed the finger at York Region for no longer maintaining its 51-per-cent portion of the $7.3-million program even though it was a provincial policy change in 2011 that rendered the region ineligible to receive LHIN funding for the remaining 49 per cent of the service.

“The Region of York could step in and cover the additional costs,” she told the York Region Media Group. “I would welcome them to do that.”

As to how that might work, Ms Matthews suggested reaching out to the LHIN. Representatives for the Central LHIN were not available for comment.

The comments made by Ms Matthews bore similarities to ones she gave in the provincial legislature during question period Tuesday morning. The statements prompted Progressive Conservative Newmarket-Aurora MPP Frank Klees to allege Ms Matthews and Liberal Vaughan MPP Steven Del Duca were working together to intentionally mislead the public on the subject.

"In my many years in the legislature, I have never witnessed such a crass deception by a minister," he said, adding the pair owe Ontario's seniors an apology. "The minister stated that there will be no reduction in service when CHATS takes over from the ACL program.

"That is simply not true and it is insulting for seniors and people with disabilities to hear those words coming from the minister when they are being told the opposite by the new service providers."

The region has operated its ACL program for about 20 years and maintains offices at the Keswick Gardens seniors apartment in Georgina, Heritage East in Newmarket, Armitage Gardens in Newmarket, the Hadley Grange in Aurora, Cedar Crest Manor in Markham, Genesis Place in Richmond Hill and Kitchen-Breedon Manor in Schomberg.

Through the program, about 125 clients get help with light cleaning, cooking and other household tasks, plus virtually immediate assistance with urgent matters such as help up from a fall and going to the washroom. ACL also has an outreach program which assists another 100 or so more individuals across the system.

Under the new policy, many seniors will be served by CHATS which plans to operate offices in Keswick, Newmarket, Richmond Hill and likely Schomberg. The organization vows help will be available 24/7 and will never be more than 15 minutes away.

Seniors at Keswick Gardens (bit.ly/1fvHZy3) and Heritage East (bit.ly/1fpH5rk) have previously spoken out about their fears with respect to the move from on-premise personal support workers to the hub-and-spoke model where assistance from CHATS and CareFirst could be up to 15 minutes away.

A meeting held at the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 905 hall in Newmarket on Saturday (bit.ly/1iaPgaP) drew about 200 ACL clients and family members who re-iterated that 15 minutes is too long for a senior to wait if they slip and fall or need help with the toilet.

At the meeting, CUPE Local 905 unit chairperson Doug Sheppard said it was good to see the community come together in such a way. As many as 90 front-line unionized York employees could receive layoff notices when the change occurs on April 1.

“The level of services is going to be reduced," Mr. Sheppard said. "The LHINs and CHATS are saying there will be no change, but that’s just not true.”

And while representatives for the region couldn't immediately be reached, Mr. Sheppard and several others in attendance Saturday questioned why the region couldn't jump in with some funding to provide the seniors being impacted with at least some more time to make arrangements. However, Newmarket Regional Councillor John Taylor suggested it was unreasonable for the region to "fill the gap" to compensate for provincial cuts.

“Property taxes are not the way to fund cuts to these programs,” he told the crowd.

In any event, a number of seniors and union members are hoping to take their concerns down to Queen's Park on March 26. CUPE 905 has also launched an online petition on change.org.