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Ontario Hospitals Emptying into Long-Term Care
12 Feb
Summary
- Hospitalization is now the fastest route to long-term care in Ontario.
- Over 50% of long-term care admissions come from hospitals, a 67% increase.
- Ontario advocates call for expanded community housing and home care support.
In Ontario, the primary pathway into long-term care homes now involves a prior hospital stay, according to advocates. This situation is especially critical in Toronto, where an aging population and the loss of nearly 700 beds have intensified the bottleneck.
AdvantAge Ontario, representing municipal and non-profit homes, highlights that over 50 percent of long-term care admissions now originate from hospitals, a 67 percent increase since before the pandemic. This trend necessitates a new approach to manage an aging population, moving away from crisis-driven admissions.
The organization is advocating for substantial provincial investment in seniors' supportive housing and an additional $600 million for home care. These measures aim to enable more seniors to live independently in the community with adequate support.
Furthermore, AdvantAge Ontario seeks increased resources for existing long-term care facilities to address the complex needs of residents, many of whom have psychiatric or mood disorders. The group also emphasizes the need for more community-based options to prevent unnecessary long-term care admissions.
Despite the province's $6.4 billion plan for long-term care redevelopment, which includes nearly 26,000 new and redeveloped beds, relief is anticipated in three to five years. The province also continues to invest in home and community care, including a permanent community paramedicine program that has served approximately 85,000 individuals.
