Ontario two years behind goal of 15,000 new LTC beds by 2024, fiscal watchdog says
The Canadian Press
TORONTO — Ontario's fiscal watchdog says the province will not meet its goal of creating 15,000 new long-term care beds by 2024.
In a report released today, the Financial Accountability Office says Ontario will need more than 30,000 new beds in the sector in 10 years.
The FAO also says the province will need to hire 17,000 personal support workers and more than 12,000 nurses to fulfill a promise to increase the average amount of direct care per resident to four hours per day.
The report says the province is two years behind its goal of creating 15,000 new long-term care beds.
It projects spending on long-term care will increase to $10.6 billion per year by 2030, up from $4.4 billion per year in 2019-20.
The new report is based on the province's 2021-22 expenditure estimates.
Last November, the government promised to establish a new standard that would see nursing home residents receive an average of four hours of direct care every day.
Premier Doug Ford has pledged to achieve the standard by 2024-25 and said the province will need to hire "tens of thousands" more personal support workers, registered practical nurses and registered nurses to provide the care.
(C) The Canadian Press