Government of Canada Launches Online Consultation for Safe Long-Term Care Act: Check details

Government of Canada Launches Online Consultation for Safe Long-Term Care Act: Every senior in Canada has the right to a dignified, secure, and comfortable life, regardless of where they reside. While the majority of Canadians desire to age closer to home and family, they also expect and deserve high-quality and secure long-term care, should they require it.

Budget 2023 outlined the government’s plan to provide provinces and territories with close to $200 billion over 10 years to enhance health care services in Canada. One of the shared priorities of this funding is to help Canadians age with dignity at home with access to home care or in a secure long-term care (LTC) facility.

Government of Canada Launches Online Consultation for Safe Long-Term Care Act:

The COVID-19 pandemic shed light on long-standing and systemic problems in Canada’s long-term care industry. As a result of the pandemic revealing uncomfortable truths about LTC, the Canadian government is taking action to meet the changing requirements of seniors and is collaborating with provinces and territories to support improvements.

Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, and the Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Seniors, announced the commencement of an online public consultation to support the creation of a Safe LTC Act.

The development of the Safe LTC Act reflects the Canadian government’s dedication to assisting seniors and people with disabilities across the country. The Government of Canada welcomed the release of two independent LTC standards from CSA Group and the Health Standards Organisation (HSO) on January 31, 2023. These standards provide guidance for delivering services that are safe, dependable, and — most importantly — centred on the needs of residents.

In the aftermath of the newly released LTC standards, for which the Government of Canada contributed close to $850,000 to develop a robust consultation strategy, this significant legislation aims to promote improvements in the quality and safety of LTC services across the nation.

The 60-day online consultation will invite individuals, including LTC residents and their families, to share their perspectives and expertise on how to improve the quality and safety of LTC, promote the implementation of LTC standards, address human resources challenges, and bolster accountability in the LTC sector. Input will aid in the development of the legislation.

Recognising traditional jurisdictional responsibilities over the delivery of LTC, the Canadian government will collaborate with provincial and territorial governments on the Safe LTC Act and how to best support the delivery of high-quality and safe LTC services. In addition to discussions and roundtables with relevant experts and stakeholders, the consultations will seek advice on how federal legislation can support advancements in the quality and safety of LTC.

The Canadian government is committed to meeting the requirements of seniors, including ensuring that they have access to safe, high-quality health care.

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Quotes

“All seniors deserve to exist with dignity, regardless of where they reside, and they have the right to expect safe long-term care if they require it. The launch of this online consultation is a crucial move towards supporting the development of a Safe Long-Term Care (LTC) Act to ensure the safety of seniors residing in LTC facilities. I encourage all Canadians to participate and provide feedback during the consultation period.”

Distinguished Jean-Yves Duclos

Secretary of Health

“During the pandemic, we all witnessed the devastation in our long-term care facilities. As a volunteer nurse on the front lines, I saw them with my own eyes. The launch of the online consultation to inform the development of the Safe Long-Term Care (LTC) Act is a crucial step in our efforts to ensure that all Long-Term Care residents have access to the necessary care. I urge Canadians from coast to coast to coast to speak out and share their thoughts on a future Safe LTC Act.”

The Respectable Kamal Khera

Minister of Ageing

Fast Facts

• From July 21 to September 21, an online consultation to inform the development of the Safe LTC Act will be available.
• The development of the Safe LTC Act complements the government’s ongoing collaboration with the provinces and territories to support advancements in home and community care, including palliative care, and in LTC. This includes establishing a panel of experts to provide recommendations for supporting home and community care, as well as assuring quality, safe, and respectful care for seniors and people with disabilities in LTC facilities across Canada.
• It builds on Budget 2021 funding commitments of $3 billion over five years provided to provinces and territories to support LTC improvements, and the $1 billion provided through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement to establish the Safe LTC Fund to safeguard people living and working in the LTC sector.
• Budget 2023 included $1.7 billion over five years to support hourly compensation increases for personal support workers and related professions, who are essential to patient-centered care, so that they can continue doing what they do best – keeping patients healthy.
• The Government of Canada announced in October 2022 that the National Seniors Council will serve as an expert panel to examine measures, such as a potential ageing at home benefit, to further support Canadians who wish to age in the comfort of their homes. The work of the expert council, which includes public consultations with Canadians and Canadian stakeholders, is well underway.
• Since 2020, the Canadian government has provided Healthcare Excellence Canada with $10,7 million, allowing over 1,500 LTC facilities across the country to employ best practises for preventing and treating COVID-19 infection. Reimagining Long-Term Care: Enabling a Healthy Workforce to Provide Person-Centered Care will be their next phase of work. Participating teams will be assisted in addressing safety and quality disparities in long-term care.
• In 2017, the Government of Canada committed $11 billion over ten years in accordance with the Common Statement of Principles on Shared Health Priorities, which outlines shared priorities for home and community care, including palliative care, and mental health and addictions services. These priorities informed the development of ongoing bilateral agreements with provinces and territories.
• The National Institute on Ageing released a review of LTC legislation, policies, directives, and standards with HSO’s standard on July 5, 2023. The report, which was funded by the Canadian government, provides valuable insight into the necessity of aligning LTC delivery in Canada with the new national LTC standards. We will collaborate with states and territories on the Safe LTC Act to promote the integrity and safety of long-term care services.