FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 17, 2005
Crisis in developmental services:
Ontario abandons elderly parents and their children
QUEEN’S PARK - The Ontario government has abandoned thousands of elderly parents who can no longer care for their developmentally disabled adult children at home, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union charged today.
The union called for increased funding to avert a growing crisis that has led to long waiting lists for services, even while the government plans to close its three remaining regional centres.
“Instead of rebuilding services for developmentally disabled people, the McGuinty government is tearing them down,” said OPSEU President Leah Casselman. “The recent Ontario budget provided no new funding for people who face long waiting lists.”
OPSEU represents more than 8,000 workers who care for people with developmental disabilities in 65 community agencies and three large provincially-run facilities the government has slated for closure over the next four years.
Over the past 10 years, chronic under-funding of developmental services has resulted in cuts to residential and day programs, increased use of part-time and casual staff, poor wages, serious problems in staff recruitment and retention, and a huge growth in waiting lists.
“This is a government that just doesn’t seem to get it,” said Casselman. “We’re just at the tip of the iceberg with the baby-boom generation who need to find care for their developmentally disabled children before they’re gone.”
In Toronto alone, there are 2,247 people with developmental disabilities on waiting lists for services; 84 per cent of them have parents over 51 years of age and 50 per cent have parents over 60.
“Poor staff wages and the increased use of part-time staff are resulting in high staff turnover and is having a devastating effect on the developmentally disabled people who are lucky enough to receive services,” Casselman continued. “Our clients develop bonds with workers who are then forced to move on to better-paying
jobs. There’s a lack of consistency in the care they receive.
“The government needs to realize they can’t keep pushing people with developmental disabilities and the workers who care for them to the back burner. They need to increase funding to this sector now,” she said.
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For more information, please contact:
Sarah Jordison, OPSEU Communications: 416-453-8049
