OTTAWA: The Ontario government is moving forward with 29 new long-term care projects, which will lead to an additional 3,000 new and upgraded long-term care spaces across the province.
These projects will help reduce waitlists and improve the quality of care and quality of life for seniors.
This initiative is part of the 2020 Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover, a comprehensive action plan to respond to the serious health and economic impacts of COVID-19.
Details were provided at The Ottawa Hospital by Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care.“Protecting our loved ones and ensuring they receive the care they deserve is at the centre of everything we do,” said Minister Fullerton.
Among the 29 new long-term care projects, 19 will include campuses of care where multiple services are provided for residents on the same site. In Ottawa, the province is proceeding with two projects.
These consist of 256 new spaces at Schlegel Villages (The Ottawa Hospital, Riverside site), where a campus of care will provide units for dementia, mental health, and complex physical needs; and, to replace Carlingview Manor, a brand new 320-space home in Orléans.
Ontario is investing an additional $761 million to build and renovate 74 projects, creating close to 11,000 safe, modern spaces. The new model has been designed to provide tailored incentives to address the needs of developers in different markets: rural, mid-size, urban and large urban.
This approach will ensure long-term care homes across the province are being built to modern standards that keep residents safe, by addressing issues like infection prevention and control and replacing ward rooms with single and double rooms.
This new approach is being applied to all long-term care projects moving forward.
• As of June 2020, more than 38,500 people are on the waitlist to access a long-term care bed.
• Ontario is committing to an average of four hours of direct care per day in care homes.