I would be remiss if I were giving you the impression that I favour one or the other. They both have a very important place in our care system.
Private organizations have opportunities to influence their pricing and their admission criteria in ways that aren't in place in public organizations or among public providers. That's one key difference. If you have an ability to pay for service, you generally can influence a better or richer mix of staff, and perhaps a wider array of services. That's what I'm speaking to.
Long-term care settings that are public in nature, that are not for profit, receive all walks of life in terms of vulnerable elderly, so they perhaps don't have as much opportunity to influence the rich staff mix that's needed. I really shouldn't even use the words “rich staff mix”. I'm talking about a staff mix reflective of the continuum: registered nurses and registered or licensed practical nurses, as well as health care aids or personal support workers. That's really the difference I'm trying to alert you to.