MEDIA ADVISORY: Sault Ste. Marie LTC staff "walking for seniors" Sunday, join provincial week of action for more resident care

SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 5, 2015) - June is "seniors' month" in Ontario and long-term care (LTC) workers from Sault Ste. Marie area nursing homes are joining LTC staff from across the province, in a week of actions to highlight the real need for increased care for long-term care residents.

They want the province to make 4 hours of daily hands-on-care for long-term care residents the law and are looking for community support to make that happen.

Sunday June 7, beginning at 11 a.m., Sault Ste. Marie registered practical nurses (RPNs), personal support workers (PSWs) and other front line LTC staff and resident family members are holding a "Walk for Seniors". They are meeting at the F.J. Davey Home health path.

"In Sault Ste. Marie and across the province, long-term care workers want the best for our residents in nursing homes. That means our provincial government has to give us the time to care for residents who have increasing and complex medical needs. The province needs to change legislation to make that happen," says Debbie Czop, a personal support worker at the F.J. Davey Home and president of CUPE 4685. She'll be participating in tomorrow's walk.

Similar 4 hour hands-on-care seniors' walks are being held between June 6 and June 13 in communities across the province.

In addition to the awareness walks, next week in many communities LTC workers will be going door-to-door or be at shopping malls and at farmers' markets and other events asking residents to sign a petition calling for a legislated resident care standard, among other asks.

A community meeting is planned in Sault Ste. Marie for Friday, June 12 at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express. Area MPP David Orazietti was invited to speak, but has declined the invite.

"We are extremely disappointed (yet again) by our elected provincial representative who cannot make the time for an important discussion on how to improve the well-being of fragile nursing home residents," says Czop. "We are still expecting him to sign our petition for a legislated daily care standard."

The petition which calls for the following will be presented in the Ontario Legislature by MPPs:

• Increased funding to achieve a staffing and care standard and tying funding to the provision of quality care and staffing levels that meet the minimum care standard of 4 hours;
• The province must stop closing hospital beds and downloading of hospital patients with complex medical conditions to long-term care homes.

For more information about CUPE Ontario's Time to Care campaign for a legislated 4 hour of hands-on-care for residents, go to http://cupe.on.ca/campaigns/time-to-care-long-term-care.