According to recent internal government data, Ontario’s long-term care homes — especially those run for-profit — are facing the steepest staffing crisis in as long with 82% of said homes. The province has promised to provide local residents a minimum of four hours per day of hands-on care. For the fourth quarter of 2024-25 fiscal year, average care time was just 3 hours, 49 minutes.
Minister Natalia Kusendova-Bashta was pleased to point out that the province exceeded this target in the subsequent quarter. The continued fluctuation belies the ongoing inequality of care between homes. That detailed data has unearthed some alarming gaps in care. Some facilities offer less than 45 minutes of care for each resident each day, as others exceed the interim goal of 3 hours and 42 minutes.
According to the administration’s newly released report, for-profit homes especially fall short on staffing levels. Worst in country Southbridge Care Homes operates all seven of the country’s ten lowest-staffed facilities. Their Chelsey Park home in London offers the bare minimum level of care—with just 2 hours and 51 minutes delivered across three quarters. Some other for-profit homes like Sienna Senior Living’s Muskoka Shores Care Community reported as little as 2 hours and 24 minutes.
Municipal homes gave a stellar 3 hours, 40 minutes of care on average. Non-profit facilities provided only 3 hours and 37 minutes of care per resident per day. Municipalities such as York Region and Simcoe County are able to have much higher staffing levels thanks to local tax subsidies. Without provincial funding for staffing, these subsidies allow these homes to exceed provincial funding maxes.
Understaffing has dire consequences for the health of residents. Access to adequate preventive care means health problems go undetected and patients end up in the emergency room, said MPP Tyler Watt. And Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, echoes this concern. She points out that residents in these poorly-staffed homes have more complexities and often find themselves in crisis situations requiring hospitalization.
“While we strive for four hours of care, unforeseen circumstances such as staff illness or personal emergencies can impact delivery.” – Southbridge Care Homes
The foundations for the province’s drive toward more effective, coordinated and patient-centered care are clear. A spokesperson for Kusendova-Bashta stated that the government “is making record investments and taking historic action to connect more long-term care residents to the care they need when they need it.” In July, the ministry shared some really thrilling news! Residents are now receiving an average of more than one hour extra direct care each day compared to 2021, a stunning increase of 36 percent.
Though these changes are positive, there is still worry over the quality of care that is provided in for-profit homes. Wayne Gates, a frequent critic of the current practice of concealing staffing levels.
“They should be made to make all this public, and it should be done immediately, and then after that, it should be done every single year.” – Wayne Gates
Gates continued by explaining how chronic understaffing in for-profit facilities creates profit incentives and reduces care quality. He uses his own father’s story to push for a reevaluation of how taxpayer dollars are distributed to these facilities.
“I’ve been saying all along that for-profit homes only care about making a profit and not about care.” – Wayne Gates
