Niagara Falls MPP proposes government financial support for caregivers

Wayne Gates, the MPP of Niagara Falls, is preparing to introduce legislation aimed at providing Ontario caregivers financial help from the government.

Gates said thousands of Ontarians are cutting back on their work hours, or can’t work at all in order to care for ailing loved ones.

For some people, caregiving is a full-time job.

Whether it be a partner, a parent, a child, or a sibling, there are thousands of people who need round-the-clock support.

“300,000 people, who are caregivers in the province of Ontario, are struggling,” said Gates.

Gates said caregivers who need financial help, should be able to get it from the provincial government.

It’s why he will be proposing a bill next week to get the conversation started.

“They are struggling to keep their full-time or part-time job, because when you are a caregiver, you are putting in 10 to 20 hours a week, sometimes longer and nobody wants to see their mom or their day or their grandparent suffer because they don’t have the care,” said Gates.

Chrissy Sadowski’s son Darius requires round-the-clock care.

“For him, he is mentally two-years-old, non-verbal, high high behaviours, so he needs 100 per cent full-time care,” said Sadowski.

Darius is 15, so right now he is attending high school, but soon he will be aging out of care.

“I don’t know how much longer I will be able to work – at the age of 21 he will be done school, and then what,” said Sadowski. “There’s no possible way I could work a full-time job and manage him.”

Gates said that not only will providing financial support help families, it will also help to alleviate some of the stress on the province’s long term care system.

“It means there would be 7.8 per cent less need for long term care beds where we have a problem, and everyone wants to stay at home,” said Gates.

Gates is proposing caregivers receive about $1,000 a month, but all the details will have to be worked out.

He’s hoping the Ford government gets on board, and says it’s really a non-partisan issue.

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