Access to senior care has declined since 2001. “During this time, provincial policies led to the privatization of seniors' care. Specifically, residential-care spaces operated by public health authorities and non-profit organizations declined, while beds in the for-profit sector increased rapidly. Research shows, however, that privatization has failed to increase access to residential long-term care, and that residential care provided by for-profit facilities is generally inferior to care delivered in public or non-profit facilities.” The government has won praise for announcing a $500 million increase in new seniors funding over four years, “although, at most, it will bring seniors' care to the province's own minimum standards.”