April 27, 2021: Online Rally

Demand Action on Long-Term Care!

What we’re calling for:

On March 22 the Nova Scotia Health Coalition and our partners from across the country called for new funding for long-term care and real national standards to make sure that the disabled and elderly in LTC facilities get the care they deserve.

You can read about those standards here.

These standards would improve quality, improve accountability and take profit out of healthcare. They would create a clear mechanism to ensure cooperation between the federal and provincial governments to make sure that funding flowed to front-line care.

Now it’s time to put pressure on politicians and show them that we can’t wait any longer!

How you can participate:

The rally is 100% online and will include people from coast to Coast.

You can participate in 5 simple steps!

1) Click "going" on the facebook event.

2) Invite all your friends to the facebook event or share this link with them via email or text message.

3) Take a selfie holding the LTC Standards Now poster below (print it off or hold up your phone with the image visible. If you don’t have a phone or printer you can write “LTC Standards now” by hand on a piece of paper).

4) On Tuesday morning post the selfie to your facebook, twitter and/or instagram accounts using the hashtag #LTCstandardsNow or email the photo to coordinator@nshealthcoalition.ca and we will post it for you.

5) Tune in to www.facebook.com/nshealthcoalition at 12:30 AST to see speakers talk about why we need national LTC standards now.

You can join our partners across Canada by tuning into their events as across the country.

Learn More about National Standards:

• You can read the 1 page summary of our proposed national standards here

• You can read the full legal opinion and draft legislation from renowned public interest lawyer Steven Shrybman here

• If you prefer audio, our provincial coordinator Chris Parsons appear on the LTC Chronicles podcast to talk about national standards, LTC in Nova Scotia and what the future of long-term care could look like. You can listen by following this link or on your preferred podcast app.

• We also spoke with Sheldon MacLeod of Saltwire for in a video discussion on the proposed national standards. You can watch here.

• The Council of Canadians recently wrote a clear explanation of why legislated national standards are needed and why relying on accreditation is a big mistake. You can read it here.

You can download a printable pdf version of the poster by clicking on this link.

National events:

MEDIA is invited to join by Zoom or to contact the organizers as listed under each province below. The entire day of events will be livestreamed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Canadians4LTC (from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Time) & in each province as follows:

PEI 12 p.m. Atlantic time

Islanders will join with music and speakers focusing on the call for national standards, working conditions and the need for more professional care in long-term care homes, mental health and health care as a public good. 

The event will be livestreamed on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057280936172 

Media join by Zoom at 

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81866074417?pwd=cnJ3VWRKSXNnSi9SVWU3bnZDMjc4QT09

Meeting ID: 818 6607 4417   Passcode: 454748

Or call Mary Boyd, Chair, PEI Health Coalition at 902-388-2693.

Nova Scotia 12:30 p.m. Atlantic time

Nova Scotians from across the province will speak about the state of long-term care in the province and detail why national government standards are needed to improve care.

The event will be livestreamed on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/nshealthcoalition

Media call Chris Parsons, Provincial Coordinator, NS Health Coalition: 902-880-8628 (cell).

Ontario (Canadians 4LTC & Ontario Health Coalition) 12:00 p.m. Eastern time

Featuring firsthand accounts of conditions in long-term care and a heartfelt appeal for national standards from residents, their essential caregivers and front-line staff; leading advocates discussing the controversy around the federal government handing off national standards to the accreditation industry and the role of the for-profit industry; a call to action to pressure both the provincial & federal governments to take real decisive action.

The event will be livestreamed on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ontariohealth

Media please pre-register to join by Zoom here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAsdOiurTMoG9UD7L5VcDLI9L6Suaorz0cf  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the link.

Or call: Natalie Mehra, Executive Director, Ontario Health Coalition 416-230-6402 (cell).

Ottawa (Canadian Health Coalition & Council of Canadians) 1:00 p.m. Eastern time

Family members of long-term care residents and long-term care experts will speak about what is happening in long-term care and issue a call for leadership and national standards. 

The event will be livestreamed on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CanadiansOrg 

Media call Steven Staples, National Director of Policy and Advocacy, Canadian Health Coalition 343-777-6283 (cell).

Manitoba 12:30 p.m. Central time

Residents, family members, community and labour leaders will speak out about conditions in long-term care and the need for national standards. 

Video premiere to be livestreamed on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MBHealthCoalition

Media call Brianne Goertzen, Provincial Director, Manitoba Health Coalition 204-955-6782 (cell). 

Alberta 12 p.m. Mountain time

Friends of Medicare will be holding a virtual rally with speakers as well as artistic presentations by special guests calling for both the provincial and federal government to work together and urgently create national standards to improve long-term care.

The event will be livestreamed on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/friendsofmedicare

Media join by Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84050105375 Meeting ID: 840 5010 5375
One tap mobile +14388097799,,84050105375# Canada +15873281099,,84050105375# Canada
Dial by your location +1 587 328 1099 Canada

For more information: Sandra Azocar, Executive Director, Friends of Medicare 780-995-6659 (cell).

British Columbia 11:30 a.m. Pacific time

Long-term care advocates, workers, and family of long-term care residents will gather to exchange testimonies of long-term care experiences, call for national standards, and share a moment of remembrance in honour of lives lost in long-term care in BC. 

The event will be livestreamed on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/bchealthcoalition