Expanding options for homecare and independent living for seniors

NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO LIBERAL CANDIDATE JACLYNNE HAMEL
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In Sault Ste. Marie, one of the biggest priorities for seniors is to be able to live in their own homes for as long as possible. Across the province, many seniors are finding themselves in the same situation: wanting to live independently, but finding it difficult to keep up with their expenses and find appropriate care.

“Seniors in Sault Ste. Marie have worked hard to build up this community, and they deserve our respect and our support. When it comes to caring for our aging loved ones, I know that many families have concerns about what their options are. We have a responsibility to provide support to our seniors and their caregivers,” said Jaclynne Hamel, Ontario Liberal candidate for Sault Ste. Marie.

The 2018 Ontario Liberals’ plan includes the Seniors’ Healthy Homes Program, a new benefit that will provide up to $750 a year to help seniors manage the costs of living in their own homes.

Coupled with a $650 million funding increase for home care services – which creates 2.8 million hours of personal support care, 284,000 more in-home nursing visits and 58,000 more therapy visits – more seniors will be able to live at home for as long as they choose.

“In Sault Ste. Marie, this means that seniors have more options for their care. As our community ages, we need to make sure that these programs are kept in tact. Now is not the time to cuts for seniors’ care. We need to make sure that seniors and retirees have the opportunity to enjoy the pride and comfort of living in their own homes.”

QUICK FACTS

• The Liberal government has increased its investments in home and community care by $250 million every year since 2013, bringing more care into more people’s homes
• The 2018 Budget builds on OHIP+ Pharmacare for Children and Youth by making publically funded pharmacare available to everyone 65 and over beginning in 2019, saving the average senior about $240 a year
• The Liberal plan for care and opportunity includes funding to build 30,000 new beds at long-term care homes over the next decade, in addition to the 30,000 currently being redeveloped, and funding to hire an additional Registered Nurse for every long-term care home and provide an average of four hours of direct care to every resident, every day
• Doug Ford’s Conservatives have no plan to support seniors. They are planning billions of dollars of cuts that would eat into the supports and services seniors and their families rely on

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