Can Ontario force hospital patients into long-term care homes? It’s complicated – CBC
Government warns patients who refuse to consent could face hefty hospital bills
Aug 26, 2022
Advocates are gearing up for legal battles against Ontario’s plan to move elderly and chronically ill patients out of hospitals and into long-term care homes, with lawyers warning the proposed change is a breach of patients’ human rights.
Under legislation unveiled last week, hospital patients who are deemed to no longer require acute care, but still need an “alternate level of care,” could be admitted to an LTC home chosen without their input — potentially far away from family members and loved ones who play a critical role in their day-to-day care.
Long-Term Care Minister Paul Calandra initially said no patients would be forced to go to a home they didn’t want to live in, but has since said that those who refuse a placement should have to pay hospital charges for their ongoing stay.
Doctors, lawyers and advocates say the government’s plan would force patients to make an impossible choice: live somewhere they don’t want to, or suffer the consequences.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-hospital-patients-ltc-human-rights-1.6562413
