On July 31, 2018, I introduced Bill 13, Time to Care Act.
If passed the bill would legislate that every resident should receive at least 4.1 hours of hands on care personal support or nursing services a day, adjusted for acuity.
Currently, residents receive an average of 2.75 hours according to some estimates, but by others, it's much lower. On average, a PSW has only 6-7 minutes to get a resident ready in the morning. This needs to change.
Especially in light of the pandemic, Time to Care would have been life-saving legislation.
The bill has wide-ranging support, including prominent academics, health and advocacy groups, all major unions and long-term care family councils across the province. The current government’s recent Staffing Advisory Report and Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission also endorsed 4.1 hours of care per resident per day.
4.1 hours for every resident would mean:
- Homes would no longer be understaffed
- Staff would have time to engage residents in their hobbies and interests
- Family caregivers could be certain their loved one was was receiving quality care
On October 29, 2020, Time to Care Act passed at Second Reading with unanimous support.
But this is just the first step. There's still a long way to go before 4.1 hours of care becomes enshrined in law.
Sign the petition and pass it around your networks to join the fight for better care. As always, you can stay in the loop by reaching out to my office