Do you remember when you were a kid, and your folks would have murmuring conversations in the next room about something? Then, a little later, they would sit you down and tell you the bad news: that your best friend’s family was moving across the country, or that grandma has cancer, or it’s time to put down the dog.
Remember how incredibly stressful it was until they decided to tell you?
The secrecy was meant to protect us. In reality, though, you just knew in your gut something was not right. The time leading up to the “reveal” was so much worse than not knowing the truth. Right?
WHAT IS ONTARIO HEALTH NOT TELLING US
We can all hear the murmuring. Last month @DiscerningSeniors touched on the fact that publicly funded home care is being cut by Ontario Health at Home resulting in the need for people to spend enormous sums of money on their personal care. (We received a lot of questions about the $960/day price tag)
Last week, @SueLantz shared the CBC story about Ontario Health moving all their home care to a new agency resulting in many people having to go without medical supplies that were supposed to be provided. And, yes, that was 100% true – we had a client who received 5 boxes of supplies, each of which were missing items. Five individually delivered boxes resulting in one complete box.
@LauraTamblynWatts shared a Toronto Star article about a friend with chronic pain who had a horrific and extended acute care experience navigating the medical system in this city – being told that she would just have to wait. My own daughter developed a kidney stone – was put on morphine (morphine!) and told to wait a week before getting seen by a specialist. To which I did what any mother would do – I called in a favour from a doctor friend. #friendswithimportantbenefits.
WHAT’S HAPPENING ?
Subconsciously we have to know that it is impossible for the Ontario Government to provide the kind of care and support that was offered even 10 years ago.
MORE PEOPLE, LESS MONEY
The percentage of older Canadians is growing fast and by 2054, the number of Canadians over the age of 85 will grow from 870,000 to 2,000,000 (StatsCan). The vast majority will have significant personal care needs. In the meantime, median Ontario incomes are decreasing (3.4% in the past 2 years), which makes accessible, affordable housing and care impossible.
LESS HEALTHCARE, MORE BOOZE
What is Ontario Health to do? Even healthcare staff are surprised by what is no longer available. Hallway medicine, 10 hour waits in Emergency Rooms, no GPs, less nursing – we’ve all seen the headlines, and many of us have experienced it. Ontario Health is cutting even the basics, but they are doing it behind closed doors and only those that need services are finding out about it, during an intense period of need, while they are at their most vulnerable.
Are we all so enamored with beer being available at our corner store that we are not looking at the real issues anymore?
TALK TO US
Maybe we’re only getting half the story – ok – well then if Ontario Health has a good plan then tell us what it is. Tell us straight what we can expect, and what will we have to pay for ourselves. Enough! Enough of letting people get caught (quite literally) with their pants down. Treat us like the adults who elected you.
