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What Is Bill 7?
Bill 7 is known as the “More Beds, Better Care Act”. This Bill was passed into law in August 2022 with no meaningful public consultation. The Act enables the transfer of older and disabled patients from hospitals to long-term care facilities not of their choosing and which may be located a far distance from family and friends.
You can learn more about Bill 7 from our January 2023 webinar with guest speaker Jane Meadus of the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly.
How is Bill 7 Impacting Seniors?
Despite its title, Bill 7 fails to provide more beds in long-term care; nor does it improve home or community care. Instead, it focuses solely on patients who are eligible for discharge to a long-term care home. If their preferred home is not available, the Act allows for these individuals to be moved to a facility not of their choosing and without their consent. This might mean that a patient can be moved far from their home and family caregivers; it could mean they are transferred to a home that does not offer a suitable standard of care.
Bill 7 violates patients’ rights to privacy and informed consent, allowing hospital staff and Home and Community Care Support Services (HCCSS) to share personal health information without consent.
Bill 7 allows hospitals to charge ALC patients $400 a day for refusing to leave the hospital for a facility not of their choosing.
For real-time updates, please visit our campaign page.
What Can You Do?
- Support our advocacy work. We are a volunteer-run organization supported entirely by donations and membership dues. We need your help to continue our vital work. Donate to Concerned Friends.
- Send the email below to Ontario’s Premier, Minister of Long-Term Care and your local Member of Provincial Parliament.
- Share this page with friends, family, and colleagues.
- Follow us on social media.
Copy and paste the message below in an email to the Premier, Minister of Long-Term Care, and your local MPP
Subject: Urgent Concerns Regarding Ontario’s Bill 7 and its Impact on Elderly Patients
Dear [Premier], [Minister], and [Member of Provincial Parliament],
I am writing to you today as a concerned constituent regarding Ontario’s “More Beds, Better Care Act” which allows for the discharge of patients into long-term care homes without their consent, imposing significant fees if they refuse to leave the hospital. As someone who cares about dignity and respect for older adults, I am deeply troubled by the implications of this
legislation on the rights and well-being of vulnerable patients in our community.
The prospect of older individuals being discharged to Long-Term Care homes not of their choosing is not only morally distressing but also raises serious concerns about patient autonomy and informed consent in healthcare decisions. Forcing patients into unfamiliar environments without their consent can have detrimental effects on their physical and mental health, exacerbating their already vulnerable conditions.
Furthermore, the imposition of exorbitant fees, approximately $400 a day or about $12,000 a month, on patients whose priority long-term care homes are not available is unjust and adds financial burden to individuals and families already struggling to navigate the complexities of healthcare and long-term care services.
As a constituent deeply concerned about this legislation, I urge you to take immediate action.
- Reevaluate the Act’s impact. Prioritize patient autonomy and ensure that individuals have the right to make informed decisions about their healthcare and living arrangements.
- Take immediate action to significantly expand diverse models of long-term care. Increase investments and improve access to all long-term care options including smaller facilities, reliable home care services, and community-based supports for older individuals.
- Make fundamental improvements to long-term care homes. This must include increased funding, robust staffing levels, and greater accountability. Improve inspections and follow-up so all long-term care homes are safe and meet legislated standards.
- Provide alternative solutions to address the challenges facing our healthcare system.
- Ensure that individuals who are transferred to homes not of their choosing are given priority and first access to an available space in a home on their priority list.
- Support initiatives that promote patient-centred care and empower individuals and families to make informed choices about their healthcare needs. Ensure that healthcare policies and legislation reflect the values of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all Ontarians.
I implore you to consider the voices of constituents like myself who are directly impacted by the consequences of Bill 7. Our loved ones deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion, and it is incumbent upon our elected representatives to safeguard their rights and well-being.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to your response and your continued advocacy on behalf of all Ontarians.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Contact Information]
