October 15, 2009


Ms. Colleen Sonnenberg
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
LTCHA Regulation Project
9th Floor, 56 Wellesley Street West
Toronto, ON, M7A 2J9


Dear Ms. Sonnenberg:

I am pleased to send you comments from the Champlain Region Family Councils Network (CRFCN) on Part 2 of the Proposed Initial Draft Regulation to be made under the Long Term Care Homes Act 2007. As we indicated in our comments on the Part 1 Draft Regulation, we feel that the one- month time period for review was very short and as a result we have been selective about which proposed regulations we chose for comment.

In our General comments we have stressed the need to reinforce in the Regulation the prominent role set out for Family Councils under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007. We are pleased to note the incorporation of some standards of care into the Part 2 Regulation and we have made suggestions in some areas for strengthening these. We remain concerned over the need for greater transparency in the operation and the monitoring of homes, the inspection and compliance processes and over the lack of any recourse or appeal mechanism in situations where a complainant has a serious disagreement with the findings of an inspection report.

We would welcome the opportunity to further the Ministry’s consultation process by meeting with you to discuss this submission and our earlier one which we have appended to this report. Please feel free to contact me at the telephone number listed below. You may also contact Mary Frances Taylor, Chair of CRFCN’s Advocacy Committee, at 613-730-8450.

Sincerely,



Eleanor Ryan, Chair
Champlain Region Family Councils Network
Tel 613-235-5741