Toronto, March 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) welcomes today’s provincial budget investments in the home and community care sector.
“These investments will have positive impacts on people’s lives, in our sector and help alleviate the current shortage of personal support workers (PSWs) across the province,” said Carol Annett, president of the OCSA Board of Directors, following the Ontario government’s announcement this afternoon.
She said the budget delivered on many OCSA recommendations, including ensuring that there is enough service expansion to meet growing client needs and strengthening of its members’ workforce of 22,000.
The association is very pleased that the budget invests in increasing service volumes and improving working conditions for front-line workers, which will result in higher quality care for the one million clients served by the sector every week.
“While we would have appreciated a greater focus on the organizations that deliver these services, the budget does invest significant amounts in the sector that will help address a number of its challenges in serving people with disabilities and seniors,” Annett said.
“We are also concerned for the future as more baby boomers (born from 1946 to 1960) will need and want home and community care, rather than being prematurely hospitalized or institutionalized. We would have hoped for a base funding adjustment for community support services, as was allocated for home care,” she said. The lack of base-funding increases have limited OCSA members’ ability to better meet current and future needs in their local communities across the province. It has been more than eight years since many community support services organizations have received an increase to their base funding from government.
Annett said, “Investing in a much more robust home and community health sector now will mean that today’s baby-boom generation will have the supports they need and want to live healthier, more independent lives in the near future.”
With the election fast approaching, OCSA will continue to advocate ensuring that the right community and home health services will be in place.
About OCSA
Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) is the voice of the home and community care sector. Its 240 member not-for-profit organizations employ 22,000 people who enable nearly one million seniors and people with disabilities to live independently at home and in their communities across the province. OCSA members make clients' and their families' lives better, while preventing unnecessary or premature hospitalization and institutionalization. www.ocsa.on.ca
Contact
To arrange an interview with Carol Annett on OCSA’s budget reaction and for more information, please contact:
Attachment:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c05c471a-3365-4ae6-a036-db953a9c7ae1