Amid a heatwave that broke records, the deadline to provide air conditioning in residents' rooms in long-term care homes in Ontario has passed, and some seniors are still waiting.

Legislation passed last year requires homes to have air conditioners in all bedrooms by June 22, 2022.

Premier Doug Ford first pledged in the summer of 2020 after criticizing long-term care owners, saying he would "put them in the (hot) rooms for 24 hours at a temperature of 30 degrees and see their reaction."

Aunt Mary Ann Flynn lives in a room without air conditioning in a long-term care home in Lindsay, Ontario. While Flynn says operators need to make more effort, she also blames the Premier somewhat.

CTV News asked the Ministry of Long-Term Care on Tuesday about the number of homes without air conditioners and the scheduled date for equipping them but had not received a response by the deadline.

Caressant Care says five of its 15 homes do not have central air conditioning, including the home where Aunt Flynn lives.

Caressant Care spokesman Stewart Oakley expects to start installing rooftop units that blow cool air into residents' rooms.

In an email, Oakley attributes the delay to supply chain issues and demand.

He says the units the home needs require custom-made units and can take up to 16 weeks for delivery.

Flynn finds the wait frustrating. "When a company is making millions of dollars and this is not a priority for them, that is unacceptable."

Oakley says Caressant Care has a plan to provide fans and portable air conditioners until permanent cooling is installed.

Ministry guidelines allow temperatures up to 26 degrees Celsius inside long-term care homes.

Dr. Amir Arya, head of palliative care at Kensington Gardens Long-Term Care in Toronto, sees cooling areas as an unsustainable gap for seniors with limited mobility who are most vulnerable to heat.

Dr. Arya says, "As you age, you are less likely to feel thirsty."

And what that means is that when you feel thirsty, you may already be moderately dehydrated." He emphasizes that relocating residents and adding hot weather checks increase workload on personal support workers already.

"They may not have enough time in some long-term care facilities to monitor someone's hydration status."