Provincial long term care funding an issue at Windsor pre-budget meeting

At a provincial pre-budget meeting held in Windsor today, long term care was a major priority.

At least one long-term care home in Windsor feels they're significantly underfunded from the province, and the head of CUPE is asking for a four-hour minimum standard for care at long-term homes.

"There is no care standard that is minimum in the law there used to be one but it was removed by the conservatives in the 90s," said Fred Hahn, president of CUPE Ontario. "What we need is a public system, what we need is a system that really ensures that the money that goes to long term care goes to front line services and that's what a minimum care standard would do."

Liberal MPP Mike Colle said his government has recently allocated the funds to extend long term care hours from three hours to four. However, the union is worried it will be a slow roll-out and won't translate into more frontline care for seniors.

"Every long term care patient will get four hours of care instead of three ... That's quite significant because it's the care that really counts," said Colle.

The province is also adding 5,000 more beds across Ontario in long term care facilities.

"But with the bed you need well trained professionals that will give people that health care they need at the bedside," said Colle.

Windsor was the last stop on the tour to get input from Ontarians on the next budget due in the coming months.

Details from the all-party committee are expected to be released next month.