Presented by Ontario’s Universities
ABOVE THE FOLD
What should have been a good-news announcement — a new investigations unit to crack down on bad actors in long-term care homes — is being ripped apart by critics as tepid and unnecessary.
The Ford government’s line: LTC Minister STAN CHO unveiled the 10-person investigations unit on Monday, saying it will look into allegations of abuse and neglect in the province’s LTC homes, with $72.3 million in funding.
Scofflaws could face fines, or even jail time. “Up until now, our ministry inspectors were limited on how they could attempt to correct non-compliance,” Cho told reporters. “Thus, this new unit and its enhanced powers is a game changer for what is already the toughest long-term care inspection and enforcement regime in Canada. It will also act as a proactive deterrent to keep any potential bad actors in check.”
How it works: Unlike regular LTC inspectors — who only have the ability to hand out administrative or monetary pe…