A law enacted in 2022, known as Bill 7, has garnered criticism for allowing people to be placed in a long-term care home not of their choosing. AdvantAge Ontario CEO says it seems like the impact on cultural home admissions was an unintended consequence.A health-care worker helps an elderly man do strength exercises at the Ivan Franko Long-Term Care Home, a Ukrainian cultural home in Toronto on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
It's a situation playing out in the several dozen cultural long-term care homes across the province, which cater to seniors from Korean, Jewish, francophone and many other communities, according to the association representing non-profit homes.A law enacted in 2022 and known as Bill 7 has garnered much criticism for allowing people to be placed in a long-term care home not of their choosing, but AdvantAge Ontario CEO Lisa Levin said the law has had other consequences as well.
Bill 7 is aimed at moving so-called alternate level of care patients — people who can be discharged from hospital but need a long-term care bed and don't yet have one — in order to free up hospital space. Cho, who took over as long-term care minister in a September cabinet shuffle, said that as a Korean Canadian, issues around cultural homes are hugely important to him."We think there's some good traction with the homes as well as organizations like AdvantAge to find that. You don't want unintended consequences to have further unintended consequences, especially when we have an overall capacity issue.
"I would say that those residents, they face challenges in adapting to our culture, traditions, cuisine and our home."When it comes to cuisine, for example, the Ukrainian menu features potatoes prominently, but people from some other cultures prefer rice or pasta, leaving the dietary staff preparing extra meals, she said.
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