Ontario's Bill 7 Faces Charter Challenge Over Forced Long-Term Care Placements

Critics argue the law violates seniors' rights and fails to alleviate hospital bed shortages, while the province defends its necessity.

Bill 7 allows hospitals to place discharged patients into long-term care homes without their consent or face a $400-per-day charge.
The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly and the Ontario Health Coalition claim the law violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Opponents argue the law is ineffective, citing a 30% increase in patients waiting for long-term care more than a year after its enactment.
The province contends the law is necessary to free up hospital beds and attributes the increase in waiting patients to population growth.
Both sides agree that Ontario faces a critical shortage of hospital and long-term care beds, despite ongoing construction and incentives.