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“We’d like to see more people on full time salaries, and have stable employment, so that they can actually earn a living and work with one employer,” he said.
Dr. Samir Sinha, the director of geriatrics at Sinai Health System and the University Health Network, has been advocating for an overhaul for the home-care system for years.
Sinha said more than 38,000 Ontarians are on wait lists to get into long-term care because there isn’t enough access to home care.
But the cost to care for someone in long-term care is $180 a day, compared to $103 a day in the home care system, he said.
“When we don’t actually have enough home and community care available it puts incredible pressures on our hospitals and it also creates incredible pressure on a nursing home system, which is expensive to run,” he said.
Sinha said keeping people out of congregate care settings, where COVID-19 has killed more than 1,830 people during the pandemic is an important strategy and will help the province address capacity issues in long-term care and hospitals.
Hamilton resident Barbara Weigelt and her 78-year-old husband accessed home-care services and support the calls to boost the sector.
Weigelt said her husband had a series of health problems over several years including a heart surgery and a stroke. With the support of a registered nurse at home, and on-call after-hours care, they were able to manage.
“I consider it a lifesaver,” she said. “If we hadn’t had that opportunity I don’t think we could have managed.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2020.
