Sudbury agencies that look after people with developmental disabilities are sounding an urgent appeal for help and they're hoping the current provincial election will draw attention to their concern.
The Sudbury and Manitoulin District Local Service System Planning Table is a group representing eight local agencies funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS).
The concern is that there is a 250-person standby list in Sudbury and more than 1,500 people on the waiting list across Northeastern Ontario. Further, the agencies said there is just not enough funding to look after those who need help.
"Since 1993, the Ontario government has only increased core funding to support agencies by less than seven per cent while the cost of living has soared to over 60 per cent. There isn't enough funding to help this vulnerable sector of our population who desperately need supports and services,” said the news release.
Sherry Salo, executive director of Community Living Greater Sudbury, said she takes no pleasure in confirming the numbers are accurate. She said workers at community living agencies often feel they are forgotten souls because the response from higher levels of government is so poor.
Community Living Greater Sudbury is one of the eight local agencies that provide care for adults with disabilities in Sudbury and Manitoulin, and Northeastern Ontario.
She said it is one the harsh realities of working to look after hundreds of people with insufficient resources to provide care.
"We all work with the others, as we call ourselves, the sister agencies, trying to make a difference. We're not in competition — we're just trying to help support people to live their best life and to help people get off the waiting list," Salo said.
"There's stories out there that you would not believe of people being on the waiting list for years, of individuals being put in hospital because their parents could no longer care for them, right? They're young adults, and there's nothing, there's nowhere for them to go."
What does it take to get a bed space for a new person in the system? Salo's answer was simple: the only way in is for someone else to die.
"Because the reality is someone has to pass away for me to have a bed available."
Going from the wait list to moving into a room or apartment or a living space is not easy, Salo said. Regular meetings must be held to ensure the most urgent cases are being responded to.
By the numbers, Salo said there are roughly 250 people in the wait list. In terms of actual time, a challenged person has to wait not just weeks or months, but years.
"There is a four-year wait list in Sudbury. And you have to think, where do those people go? Some of them end up on the street. Some of them are in the hospital. Some of them get transferred to other facilities.
“But the majority of them have nothing, like they're just they're lost souls," said Salo.
"They have developmental disabilities. Many of them have mental health challenges to go with those developmental disabilities. They're in need of medication, in need of psychologists, psychiatric care, and they're just lost."
Salo said she is hoping that candidates in the Ontario election will take notice and make an effort to show support. She said NDP candidates France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) and Jamie West (Sudbury) were both preparing to speak in support of additional funding at the annual Ontario Legislature budget estimates, which will have to wait until a new government is elected.
Salo said she would welcome at least a commitment from all party candidates to speak out at the next session of budget estimates, which will be held prior to the next new provincial budget.
"Absolutely, people will take notice. This is horrendous. There is no other sector of government that can say in 30 years they've had a seven-per-cent increase," said Salo.
Along with Community Living Greater Sudbury, the community living group is made up of representatives from Community Living Manitoulin, Community Living Wikwemikong, Community Living Espanola, L’Arche Sudbury, Karis Sudbury, Sudbury Developmental Services and the Sudbury Community Service Centre.
Len Gillis covers health care and mining for Sudbury.com.