TORONTO, March 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE RESCHEDULED PRESS CONFERENCE THAT WE CANCELLED ON MONDAY. IT IS CONFIRMED FOR TOMORROW (TUESDAY) AND IS DEFINITELY GOING AHEAD. OUR SINCERE APOLOGY FOR RESCHEDULING. WE ARE WORKING WITH FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.
What: A press conference with at least one resident who has been shut in for months, family members of long-term care residents who are being barred from going outside, and advocates, to demand the Ontario government urgently require LTC homes to let residents out. Residents, families and advocates are at once furious and heartbroken at the ongoing violation of residents’ fundamental human rights. The vast majority of residents and staff are vaccinated and yet residents are being denied the right to even walk outside and see the springtime, after a year of lockdowns and isolation.
When: Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 12 p.m. noon by Zoom as follows:
https://zoom.us/j/93749422129?pwd=NDBmUmlJMitzTGo0a1VNWkJpaE9xdz09
Meeting ID: 937 4942 2129
Passcode: 214649
Or dial by your location +1 647 558 0588 Canada
Who: Speakers will include a resident who has been denied the ability to go outside, families of residents who are not being allowed outside, and advocates including Sandra Caleta, spokesperson for Voices of LTC and Advocates for Long-Term Care Reform in Ontario; Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition; Jane Meadus, lawyer at the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly; and Dr. Amit Arya, palliative care physician and Board Member of the Ontario Health Coalition.
The press conference is organized by Voices of LTC a family, resident and care worker advocacy group in Ontario; the Advocates for Long-Term Care Reform in Ontario which represents 4,300 Ontario LTC families and staff; and the Ontario Health Coalition which represents more than half-a-million Ontarians including LTC residents, families, family councils, seniors’ organizations, health care workers and professionals and their unions, non-profit health service organizations, ethno-cultural organizations and concerned citizens dedicated to protecting and improving health care for all.
For more information: Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition (cell) 416-230-6402; Sandra Caleta, spokesperson Voices of LTC and Advocates for Long-Term Care Reform in Ontario (cell) 647-624-3839.