What is the Not-for-Profit Difference?
At our core, not-for-profit homes perpetuate a model of care anchored in compassion, respect and kindness. We are driven by our mission to provide the very best in seniors care, not by the need to generate profits. In fact, not-for-profit homes invest every dollar into expanding care, services and operations that support seniors.
Any surplus funding goes to increase the level and quality of care for seniors.
This is one reason we talk about the not-for-profit difference. Our shareholders are the communities in which we operate and with care as our primary motivator, we can do things like provide more hours of direct care per day, more cultural and community-specific programming, more activities, newer facilities and even more nutritious and delicious food.
Not-for-profit homes are generally newer facilities, have far fewer shared rooms and more single rooms, and are therefore better equipped to protect residents against infection.
In Ontario, about half of the long-term care homes for seniors are not-for-profit, which includes municipally-owned and charitable homes, while the other half of homes are for-profit.
The Not-for-Profit Difference during COVID-19
Every loss of life to COVID-19 in long-term care homes was tragic and avoidable, but clearly the not-for-profit difference matters. Nearly half of seniors in long-term care live in not-for-profit homes, but these homes accounted for less than 22 per cent of long-term care deaths due to COVID-19.
When COVID-19 first hit, not-for-profit homes reacted quickly to limit the spread of the virus and prevent the tragic loss of life. We were able to do this because not-for-profit homes are nimble and responsive to our communities. Not-for-profit homes invested in infection prevention and control and were able to marshal all available resources to keep residents safe.
We can never forget the tragedies of COVID-19. We need to learn from the mistakes that were made and recognize the fact that not-for-profit homes are Ontario seniors preferred model of long-term care. As we rebuild long-term care to be a reflection of our societies values and the respect we have for our seniors, we need to encourage more not-for-profit long-term care options.
Tell your MPP that the not-for profit difference matters to you and your family
Not-for-Profit Puts the Focus on Community
Not-for-profit homes are community-owned and community-led. Whether owned by a municipality or local not-for-profit organization, community is baked into our formal structure. Our homes are a reflection of the people around them.
For example, we have homes geared specifically to Korean, Chinese, Jewish, Mennonite, Francophone, LGBTQ2S+ and other specific cultural and religious communities. In Ontario, there are 70 cultural and religious long-term care homes and the vast majority of them are not-for-profit.