Ontario seniors get safety boost

There’s a new good reason to live in an Ontario assisted living community – in fact, 20 million new good reasons. As reported by the Toronto Star newspaper, Ontario’s government has earmarked 20 million Canadian dollars (about 20.3 million dollars USD), to update the province’s older assisted living communities with up-to-date fire prevention systems.

According to the Star, the province’s action comes as a result of the newspaper’s report in 2012 about the dangers of senior living communities without proper sprinklers and extinguishers.

The money won’t just be used to install sprinkler systems, but will also be invested in staff training as well as updating electrical and mechanical systems in the communities.

“We’ve not only regulated retirement homes, we’re going to make them safer,” Linda Jeffries, Ontario’s Minister of Labour Minister Responsible for Seniors, told the newspaper.

The funds announced by Jeffries are part of a larger strategy to help improve the health and safety of the province’s seniors.

Another proposal introduced requires Ontario assisted living communities to report any incidents where a resident is sent to hospital, as well as requiring communities to report the presence of any hazards which may present a risk to residents, that is at the facility for at least six hours.

What do you think of these proposals? Will they help safeguard the health and safety of seniors, or does more need to be done?