FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 13,
2001
Union calls for
integrated home care system
TORONTO - Ontario
Health Minister Tony Clement could fix the province’s home care
crisis immediately by creating an integrated home care system, the
Ontario Public Service Employees Union says.
“We need more of a system, instead of a jigsaw
puzzle that doesn’t have all the pieces from the same box,” said
Sue McSheffrey, chair of the OPSEU Community Health Care Professionals
Division. “There is no question that a fragmented system, built on
the shaky foundation of competitive bidding, is causing home care’s
problems. It’s time we put everybody under the same roof.”
McSheffrey was responding to a new
government-commissioned report that detailed severe under-funding,
staff shortages, and waiting lists in home care.
“The problems with home care have been well
documented,” said OPSEU president Leah Casselman. “First,
competitive bidding causes cut-throat competition among private
service providers, who bid low to get the contracts. Then they slash
wages to make their profits of $42 million a year. Low wages mean they
can’t retain staff, so clients can’t even get the home care they
are entitled to. Second, the system of 43 Community Care Access
Centres guarantees that there will be limited accountability for
variations in service.
“Problems in home care cause problems in our
hospitals and long-term care facilities. An integrated, unified,
not-for-profit system would be both more economical and more
effective.”
Casselman slammed the freeze on home care
funding and the banning of deficits at CCACs, a move she said amounted
to a $175 million cut to families in need.
“Does this government have any concept of the
suffering they are causing?” she asked. “If they don’t, they are
incompetent. If they do, they are criminals. It is immoral to ask
CCACs to control costs when the home care model itself is causing the
problem.”
OPSEU represents 2,000 home care workers across
Ontario.
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For more information:
Sue McSheffrey (613) 432-7208
Randy Robinson (416) 448-7441
