The Warrior Advocate Crusade - ASLM (All Seniors Lives Matter) Seniors B4 Profit group held two peaceful protests in Barrie and Bradford on Friday, in hopes of raising awareness on the realities of life inside long-term care facilities, and the need for alternative options of care.
Organizer Sparky Johnson said the group is travelling the province to all the long-term care facilities, retirement homes, and hospitals that are “warranting the years of neglect and abuse that has been going on from behind closed doors.”
"We are here looking for accountability and justice," said Johnson. "We are small and peaceful and bringing awareness to communities."
Johnson and fellow group members Julie Farrell and Cheryl Spelliscy stood outside Roberta Place and Bradford Valley Care Community LTCs on Friday, with posters sharing their disgust and anger with the province's care system.
All three women have lost loved ones in a long-term care facility, and have been calling on the government for change and transparency.
"Standard of care needs to be the same for anyone in a congregate care setting," said Johnson.
Johnson wanted to make clear who they were protesting.
“This is not a target against the workers, we need to make that very clear. We are here supporting not only the residents but also the staff,” said Johnson. “The staff have been set up to fail since day one with no respect or regard from the corporations for them or the residents.”
Johnson says the issues inside care facilities have been going on for years, and it was COVID that truly exposed them.
“Roberta Place, as we very well know, was one of the hardest hit by COVID. The same issues are happening at 85 percent of the homes throughout Ontario and the country,” said Johnson. “With a shortage of staff, corporations are profit-maximizing off the backs and lives of our loved ones.”
The group would also like to see mandatory unannounced Resident Quality Inspections (RQI) happening more frequently.
"The lack of unannounced inspections or even any inspections are allowing owners to continue with their cost-cutting and substandard care," said Johnson. "Residents and family members were left with a complaint-driven system where little to no action is taken, and/or accountability is ever having to be held."
As per the Ministry's website, unannounced inspections are performed under the Long-Term Care Home Quality Inspection Program as required in order to protect and safeguard residents and ensure LTC Homes comply with legislation and regulations.
The Ministry website says the LQIP safeguards residents’ well-being by continuously inspecting complaints and critical incidents, and by ensuring that all Homes are inspected at least once per year.
Johnson said that with the protests they hope to force change in the way of a reallocation of funds, alternative care, smaller home atmospheres, and other options for families.
-with files from Shawn Gibson
