Minimum long-term care standard legislation promised by NDP on Tuesday’s campaign trail

Both the Saskatchewan Party as a whole and NDP Leader Ryan Meili are preparing for Wednesday’s debate, so they were off the campaign trail Tuesday.

Instead of Meili, the NDP’s candidate for Saskatoon Fairview, Vicki Mowat, hit the trail. She was joined by Saskatoon Westview candidate Malik Draz in front of St. Joseph’s Home, a long-term care facility, for Tuesday’s election promise.

Mowat said, if elected, the NDP would commit to a legislated minimum standard for long-term care homes across Saskatchewan.

“There isn’t a specific dollar figure attached,” Mowat said when asked by reporters on the actual funding included. She then pointed to the NDP’s election promise on Oct. 5 regarding health care.

Mowat explained the legislation “dovetails” on the $100-million commitment to hiring staff in the sector. It includes 100 doctors, 150 registered nurses, 300 licensed practical nurses and 500 continuing care assistants.

“We know that there are so many stresses in our long-term care system right now,” she said.

“Essentially, (the legislation would entail) allotted, very specific, regulated hours of care per resident … (ensuring) each resident would have a certain number of hours dedicated to them with one-on-one staff time.”

Mowat said legislation was in place up until 2011, when “the Sask. Party scrapped” it.

“The care simply isn’t there. Under the Sask. Party system right now, they have what they’re calling ‘guidelines.’ Their own CEO tour reports show that these guidelines aren’t good enough, that our seniors are being left behind,” she said.

The senior care sector has been a topic that continues to be at the NDP’s forefront for election promises. On Oct. 6, Meili and NDP candidate for Saskatoon Eastview Matt Love unveiled a promise for $50 million in funding 700 new home care workers in Saskatchewan.