MY MOM SPENT HER LIFE ADVOCATING FOR PEOPLE IN NEED. NOW SHE NEEDS PEOPLE TO ADVOCATE FOR HER.

My mom built her career around helping people who had fallen through the cracks, connecting people facing addiction, homelessness, and mental illness with care, counselling, and resources when others had given up. She spent her life advocating for people without a voice.

Now she has faced two massive gaps in Ontario long-term care. First, she was too young to access appropriate care. Now, at 62, she can walk, but is effectively forced into a wheelchair because safe walking requires supervision and there are not enough staff available. Staff are already stretched thin and do what they can, but they are responsible for many residents.

At my home, my mom walks independently while supervised for hours. She rests when she needs to and walks when she wants. She should NOT be gradually losing strength, muscle mass, and mobility simply because the Ministry of Long-Term Care does not allocate enough resources.

Too much of the responsibility for preserving my mom’s health and mobility has been pushed back onto family. I am her ONLY local family member, and I cannot replace the staffing her care requires. I also have two children who depend on me, and the constant need to step in has affected our entire family. We should be able to grieve what dementia has taken from her, but instead we are still living in crisis, constantly fighting to make sure her basic needs are met.

I spend so much time filling gaps in my mom’s care that there is almost no time left for my career, my own basic needs, or meaningful self-care. My career has effectively been put on hold, and the financial strain on my household is becoming harder and harder to carry.

People are NOT disposable, no matter what stage of life they are in. When the system takes responsibility for someone’s care, it needs to fully accept that responsibility, fund it properly, and be accountable for whether people are actually able to live with dignity, mobility, and quality of life.

Please sign if you believe residents who can still walk should not lose that ability simply because the system does not fund enough hands to help them keep moving.