The Ontario Ombudsman's office is investigating complaints about the province's handling of moving developmentally disabled residents from three regional centers slated for closure into community facilities. Specifically, families have complained that residents' needs are not being properly assessed during the transfer process and that inadequate planning could result in residents' needs not being met in their new locations. The Ombudsman's office is looking into these complaints but is not investigating the overall policy of closing the regional centers.

1. Moving plans for disabled adults mishandled,
Ombudsman told
IAN SUTTON Saturday's Globe and Mail Oct. 21, 2006 last updated Wednesday, Mar. 11, 2009
The Ontario Ombudsman's office is looking into complaints that the province is mishandling the
transfer of developmentally disabled people out of the state facilities where some have spent
much of their lives.
Three regional centres that house about 1,000 severely developmentally disabled Ontarians are
slated to close in 2009. The provincial government -- over objections from relatives who lost a
court action against the plan -- is moving residents of those regional centres into group homes
and other facilities.
Ombudsman André Marin's office is looking into several complaints that residents of one centre
are not being assessed sufficiently to allow their needs to be met when they are moved to
community facilities.
And families of residents at two other centres say they are alarmed by what they consider
inadequate planning for the relocation of their relatives. They are being asked to have relatives
accepted as patients by family physicians who may not be equipped to provide the level of care
they need.
The Ombudsman's office said the complaints concern the process the Ministry of Community
and Social Services is using to assess the needs of residents at Huronia Regional Centre in Orillia
and described its investigation as preliminary.
The other two facilities involved are Rideau Regional Centre outside Smiths Falls and the
Southwestern Regional Centre near Chatham.
Sue Haslam, manager of investigations for the Ombudsman's office, said, "The Ombudsman is
not investigating or reviewing the government policy decision to proceed with the closures."
But "if there are individual families that have concerns about the transfer process or specific
placements that they have not been able to resolve with the ministry, they can come forward to
our office and we'll see what we can do to assist."
Concerns about the assessments were brought to the Ombudsman's attention in a letter from Toni
Jeffrey of Mississauga, whose 50-year-old sister, Frances, has lived at Huronia centre for 45
years. Ms. Jeffrey is president of a family support group at Huronia.
In her letter, she said she reviewed "personal plans" prepared for centre residents and "found that
there is absolutely no consistency in the format of the plans. They are being prepared by regional

2. placement facilitators who are not qualified to do so, resulting in inadequate reports with vital
and essential information being omitted."
She said in an interview that she believes the ministry is avoiding accurate documentation of
residents' conditions to play down the extent of their needs.
Ministry spokesman Paul Doig denied the suggestion. "The health and well-being of residents of
our facilities has always been of utmost importance," he said.
The court decision that approved the government's plan to close the centres, he said, described
the planning process as "well considered," adding the ministry will continue to use the process
for residents moving to the community.
The province is investing almost $276-million in new funding for developmentally disabled
Ontarians, including nearly $70-million for new living quarters for adults with developmental
disabilities and $206-million for additional community services, Mr. Doig said.
Conservative Leader John Tory says he supports the community living movement, but that he
would prefer an approach that might help some residents stay where they are.
Special to The Globe and Mail