Retirement Home Standards - Is Legislation Necessary?
A recent article in the Toronto Star exposes the unfortunate situation in which some of Toronto’s elderly are being forced to live. It is but one example, however, the article speaks of the terrible conditions found at a retirement home in Toronto’s west end. It seems like such problems are becoming more and more prevalent. Some form of neglect is at the core of nearly ever story I hear about the care of aging family members.
The above noted article speaks of poor nutrition, lack of care and elder abuse. It notes that the owner of the referenced retirement home has been charged with assault on two occasions and has been brought in front of the Ontario Labour Relations Board, which ordered the owner to pay $3,614 back in wages and holiday pay to an employee who alleged that she was working below minimum wage.
Ontario’s Minister of Seniors was ‘shocked’ by the article exposing the retirement homes and has promised to create tough rules to keep residents safe in the future (as reported in the Toronto Star follow up to the Expose) through the implementation of the Ontario Retirement Home Act, which is as yet not in force. The follow up notes that the owner of the retirement home in Friday's article, has stated that the investigative reporter for the Toronto Star faked the problems he reported as well as the photographs included in the report.
Regardless of the truth behind the allegations against this particular retirement home, with an aging population and more and more of the Canadian population choosing to remain unmarried and without children, retirement homes are a certain part of our future. I’m sure as a society we will be following the implementation of legislation governing such institutions. The impact on the Estate bar is uncertain at this point, however, an influx of disgruntled children is certain to appear.
Until Tomorrow,
Nadia Harasymowycz
