NDP: Extendicare announcement too little, too late

SASKATOON - In light of today’s announcement that the Saskatchewan Health Authority will be taking over all for-profit Extendicare Long-Term Care facilities in Saskatchewan, Official Opposition Critic for Seniors Matt Love welcomed the announcement that the Sask. Party is moving away from the deadly for-profit care but questioned why it took so long for the province to act on known dangerous and deadly living conditions at Extendicare facilities in Saskatchewan in the first place.

“Today’s announcement is one that’s long overdue,” said Love. “Our party has been highlighting the issues with this private care provider in Saskatchewan for nearly a decade. The issues at Extendicare aren’t new, and it shouldn’t have taken so long for this government to act.”

The Saskatchewan NDP has been calling for seniors’ care reform and for the implementation of recommendations from the Provincial Auditor and Provincial Ombudsman for years. Some examples include:

March 2014 – Tabled seniors bill of rights
May 2020: – Call for minimum care standards to be implemented
July 2020 – Call to appoint a seniors advocate
October 2020 – Call for stay-at-home care
November 2020 – Call to protect seniors in LTC from second wave
February 2021 – Calls to end for-profit long-term care

Love noted that going back to 2012, families, independent officers of the legislature and the Official Opposition have highlighted the inadequate standards within Extendicare facilities and have called for minimum care standards to be implemented.

“What’s so sad about today’s announcement is that it took the preventable loss of so many lives in our long term care homes for this government to act,” said Love. “Our seniors in this province deserve more than out-of-sight, out-of-mind care. Though removing for-profit Extendicare from the equation is a positive first step, we need to ensure that we are improving care standards in all our long-term care facilities.”

The Sask NDP is calling to:

Rollover all Extendicare long-term care staff into the Saskatchewan Health Authority
Implement all outstanding recommendation from independent officers, including inspections of all LTC homes and publicly report conditions in each home
Agree to the full implementation of the Ombudsman’s recommendations from her upcoming report within the year
Step up and finally provide the necessary funding to the sector to protect those most at risk in the pandemic
Introduce legislation to reinstate minimum standards of care.

-30-

Latest posts

IN WAKE OF WILDFIRE CRISIS, NDP CALLS ON OMBUDSMAN TO INVESTIGATE LACK OF FINANCIAL SUPPORTS, HOUSING ISSUES, CANCELLED APP

Independent Officer Came Forward Last Month After Receiving More Complaints From Evacuees Than She Could Count

SASKATOON – The Saskatchewan NDP is formally calling on the Provincial Ombudsman to investigate a series of failures during the wildfire crisis in the North in late May and June.

NEW DATA SHOWS THOUSANDS OF VACANT UNITS AS SASK. PARTY FAILS TO ADDRESS HOUSING CRISIS IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS PROVINCE

Sask. Party Failure To Upkeep and Make Use of Public Housing Contributes To Chronic Houselessness Problems, Drug Crisis.

SASKATOON — New data released today by the Saskatchewan NDP shows clearly that the Sask. Party has failed to address the housing crisis in the province, allowing thousands of affordable units to sit vacant while people on the streets.

SASK. PARTY HIDES FROM PUBLIC AMID WIDSPREAD RURAL EMERGENCY ROOM CLOSURES

Watrous Announces Yet Another Emergency Room Closure, More Than 30 So Far In 2025

SASKATOON - Negligent leadership from the Sask. Party has made access to healthcare in rural communities unreliable and dangerous.

SASK. PARTY SKIPS IMPORTANT FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL MEETING TO DISCUSS FRANCOPHONE ECONOMY

Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister Says Government Continues To Fail Francophone Community

REGINA – The Saskatchewan NDP is decrying a decision by the Sask. Party Government to have all its elected members skip a critical federal-provincial meeting last month that focused on developing the Francophone economy.