Homecare patients are being impacted by service cuts, according to some southern Ontario workers and NDP officials.

The Community Care Access Centre is cutting the number of daily nursing visits it pays for by 33 per cent to help offset a $5-million deficit in this region alone.

The CCAC says the cuts will affect mostly low to mild-needs patients, which in Windsor represent 30 per cent of clients.

However in a meeting Thursday afternoon, $4.1 million in funding was approved for CCAC this fiscal and a budget waiver was approved to allow for more time to ease transitions. New service guidelines will be developed for new clients, says a spokesperson forthe Erie St. Clair LHIN. 

Windsor West NDP MPP Lisa Gretzky is demanding the provincial government admit to homecare service cuts in Windsor and to restore those services.

“This weekend, in my riding, I’ll be meeting with more homecare patients and their families who have been hit by these service cuts – just as I’ve done this entire month,” says Gretzky.

“With nursing visits slashed by one-third, my constituents are being left without the care they need.  They are told these service cuts are myths.”

Health Minister Eric Hoskins responded to Gretzky’s questions about the CCAC slashing its services by saying “it just isn’t true.” He described these service cuts to homecare in Windsor as “not cuts at all.” 

Gretzky says if the minister really thinks that there are no service cuts to homecare in Windsor, he needs to order that the homecare services that have already been reduced, be fully restored immediately.

The CEO of the Erie St. Clair LHIN Gary Switzer says funds are being redirected to help severe-needs patients.

 "These are the people coming out of hospital who need nursing care or PSW care, or some of our frail and elderly , who want to stay home instead of going into long-term care,” says Switzer.