Ontario Not-for-Profit LTC and Retirement Homes form Vaccination Coalition

Coalition designed to improve resident safety, protect against legal challenges

May 19, 2022 (Updated June 2023) - A coalition of not-for-profit long-term care and retirement homes have implemented policies that will require all staff, volunteers, and support workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

To date, 27 homes have banded together to put those mandatory vaccination policies in place.

The homes formed the vaccination coalition in the interest of resident safety and to protect AdvantAge Ontario members from the risk of legal action.

In early March 2022, the provincial government removed mandatory vaccination policies for long-term care homes, and instead left the decision to individual homes. The resulting patchwork policy framework leaves independent not-for-profit homes vulnerable to legal challenges.

This coalition allows homes to join together to support each other and implement a similar set of policies. The goal, ultimately, is to protect residents and staff and to save lives.

The coalition homes are all members of AdvantAge Ontario, the provincial association representing over 200 not-for-profit, municipally-owned, hospital-led, and charitable homes. AdvantAge Ontario has long held that mandatory vaccinations for health care workers are crucial to stopping the spread of COVID-19, and that mandatory vaccinations are important for all healthcare workers.

“The vast majority of our members would like the government to reinstate the mandatory vaccination policy for all health care workers,” said Lisa Levin, CEO of AdvantAge Ontario.

Without a consistent government policy, many small not-for-profit long-term care and retirement homes are assuming a legal risk by introducing their own policy.

“It’s a risk many homes have difficulty taking on their own, and I understand that,” said Levin.


AdvantAge Ontario

AdvantAge Ontario has been the trusted voice for not-for-profit senior care for over 100 years and is the only provincial association representing the full spectrum of the senior care continuum. Our more than 400 members are located across the province and include not-for-profit, charitable, municipal, and hospital-affiliated long-term care homes, seniors’ housing, assisted living in supportive housing, and community service agencies.

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Contact:

Chris Noone 
Manager, Communications and Member Services 
W: 905.851.8821  x 253 
cnoone@advantageontario.ca 


Backgrounder
Vaccine Coalition members include the following: