June 4, 2025

Honourable Raymond Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility

cc. Hon. Sylvia Jones, Minister of Health; Hon. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-term Care; Peter Kaftarian, Deputy Minister, MSAA and MLTC; Michele Sanborn, Assistant Deputy, Minister MSAA

Dear Minister Cho:

Thank you very much for your reply of April 23, 2025 to our letter. It was good to hear back from you.

Congratulations on the reintroduction of Bill 14, the Support for Seniors and Caregivers Act. This legislation promises to improve the quality of life of older Ontarians living in long-term care homes by requiring organized programs for dementia care and services and programs respecting cultural, linguistic, religious, and spiritual needs, as well as by introducing abuse or neglect of a resident as a provincial offence. The legislation’s success will rest on vigorous implementation and monitoring of providers.

However, we believe that further Ontario government action is also urgently needed to help older adults achieve their almost universally-held goal of being able to age in place and remain in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. To achieve this goal, the Ontario  government needs to significantly strengthen home and community services in Ontario by: (a) improving access to home care by making it more flexible; (b) instituting a caregiver benefit for unpaid caregivers as proposed by the Ontario Caregiver Coalition; (c) addressing the shortage of personal support workers by improving the wages and working conditions of those who work in the community; (d) establishing provincial standards for home care services; and (e) prioritizing non-profit providers in awarding new home care contracts.

It’s time for the Ontario government to take the actions needed for older adults to age in place as they wish and with the supports they need. 

Yours truly,

John Bagnall and Fiona Green, Co-chairs, Care Watch Board of Directors