Monday, April 04, 2016
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Ontario Renovating More Than 300 Long-Term Care Homes
Province Investing in Renovations to Improve Care and Comfort for Residents
Ontario is investing in long-term care homes to improve the quality of care and comfort of residents.
Today, Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Dipka Damerla visited Stouffville's Bloomington Cove Care Community, where more than 30 resident spaces will be upgraded. This is one of more than 300 long-term care homes that will be upgraded over the next nine years and are eligible to receive a construction funding subsidy.
Through these enhancements, residents will benefit from:
- An environment that is comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and as home-like as possible with renewed interior design.
- Additional space for specialized programs like rehab and physiotherapy.
- More spacious rooms with a maximum of two residents per bedroom.
- Greater wheelchair access in bedrooms, bathrooms, showers and doorways.
- More air-conditioned areas.
- Accessible dining areas that provide a home-like atmosphere.
- More private work spaces for staff.
Long-term care homes are places where adults can live and receive help with daily activities and access to 24-hour nursing and personal care. They provide more nursing and personal care here than a retirement home or supportive housing.
Ontario is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province's history - about $160 billion over 12 years, which is supporting 110,000 jobs every year across the province, with projects such as roads, bridges, transit systems, schools and hospitals. In 2015, the province announced support for more than 325 projects that will keep people and goods moving, connect communities and improve quality of life.
Quick Facts:
- Bloomington Cove is a for-profit organizations with 112 licensed long-term care beds.
- There are about 78,000 residents in Ontario's 630 long-term care homes.
- Since 2003, 10,000 new spaces in long-term care homes have been created and just over 13,500 older long-term care spaces have been renovated.
- The number of nurse practitioners in Ontario's long-term care homes will be increased from 18 to 93 over the next three years.
- As part of the 2016 Budget, Ontario is proposing an additional $10 million to the existing $44 million annual investment in Behavioural Supports Ontario for seniors with cognitive impairments who exhibit challenging and complex behaviours.
Additional Resources:
Quotes:
"Long-term care homes are not just facilities – they are peoples’ homes. It is vital that they remain up-to-date to provide residents with secure, safe and comfortable surroundings. The redevelopment of long-term care homes will also help create jobs in the local area."
— Dipika Damerla, Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
"We are delighted to be able to start planning to upgrade our 31 older long-term care beds, and when completed, it will greatly improve the living space and quality of life for our residents who all live with dementia. "
— Janet Iwaszczenko, Executive Director at Bloomington Cove
"Our seniors deserve the enhanced programs and resources that come with better facilities and this announcement brings us one step closer to this goal. We look forward to continuing to work with the government on improvements to the program so we can modernize as many homes as possible as soon as possible."
— Candace Chartier, Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Long Term Care Association
"Ontarians want to know that long-term care facilities will provide a safe, home-like environment for themselves or their loved ones. I am proud that our government will be enhancing long-term care facilities in my riding of Oak Ridges-Markham, and across the province."
— Dr. Helena Jaczek, MPP Oak Ridges-Markham
"This announcement is welcome news for the seniors who rely on long-term care as their ‘home’ when they are no longer able to live independently on their own. With these enhancements, our seniors will benefit from aesthetic improvements in the home, as well as accessibility and program space enhancements. "
— Kim Baker, CEO, Central Local Health Integration Network
Media Contacts:
David Jensen
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
416-314-6197
Polina Osmerkina
Associate Minister's Office
416-325-3754
|