Fund a rapid response treatment team consisting of Nurse Practitioners and Registered Nurses and Physicians for seniors who live in their own homes and are 85 years of age and older.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Registered Nurses’ of Ontario (RNAO) advocate to municipal, provincial and federal governments for more funding for public health, home care and community health services which could improve the quality of life of seniors, prevent illness and reduce hospital acquired infections or issues such as falling.

Action

Throughout 2021/22, RNAO has continued to advocate for expanded, equitable, and quality home and community care services for seniors. The association’s July 15, 2021 response to the Ontario government’s Proposed Home and Community Care Regulations, advocated for the expansion of home and community care services in the province, as well as the removal of service maximums, to make more hours of home care available to Ontarians.
Following this, RNAO also urged the Ontario government to increase home care funding by 20 per cent in its 2022 provincial pre-budget submission. And RNAO’s 2022 provincial platform also recommended an increase in home care funding to support an expanded publicly-funded basket of home and community services, in order to ensure improved and equitable home care access and promote the need for adequate staffing, skill mix and compensation.
RNAO’s advocacy in 2021/22 on this issue also took place on the federal government stage. Through its 2021 federal election platform and 2022 federal pre-budget submission, the association also demanded implementation of a federally-funded home care program that would allow people across Canada to receive a full basket of services in their home. Work on this issue remains ongoing, as RNAO remains dedicated to promoting quality home and community care services for seniors.