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Modernization will Improve Access to Quality Care for Seniors across Province

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 today 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. “With this announcement, our government is taking another step towards creating a 21^st century long-term care sector that provides the highest quality of care for our most vulnerable people, where and when they need it.”

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 specialized units for dementia, mental health, and complex physical needs; and, to replace Carlingview Manor, a brand new 320-space home in Orléans.

In addition to the 29 projects announced today, Ontario is investing an additional $761 million to build and renovate 74 projects under the modernized funding model, 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-occupancy rooms. This new approach is being applied to all long-term care projects moving forward.

Working together with long-term care partners, Ontario continues to use innovative ideas and modern solutions to help increase long-term care capacity in communities across the province. The government is also driving the development of new long-term care spaces by selling surplus lands with the requirement that long-term care homes be built on portions of the properties, and through the Accelerated Build pilot program, which is adding 1,280 spaces in a matter of months, not years.

The 2020 Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover, is the next phase of a comprehensive strategy to respond to the serious health and economic impacts of COVID-19.

Quick facts

• The 29 new projects consist of 2,983 long-term care spaces, including 1,968 new and 1,015 upgraded spaces.

• Ontario is investing $1.75 billion to create 30,000 beds over ten years. Today’s announcement brings the total number of new and upgraded long-term care spaces in the pipeline to 22,368.

• 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 for our loved ones living in long term care homes. Ontario is the first province in Canada to take this important step.

• Ontario’s Action Plan sets out a total of $45 billion in support over three years to make available the necessary health resources to continue protecting people, deliver critical programs and tax measures to support individuals, families and job creators impacted by the virus, and lay the groundwork for a robust long-term economic recovery for the province.

Quotes

“Our government’s commitment to building new long-term care spaces is critical to ensuring our most vulnerable individuals have the support they need. Residents across the National Capital will see reduced waitlists and increased quality of care, with the addition of 320 spaces in Ottawa.”

“The well being of our aging population is very important to me and the constituents of Carleton. Creating new modern spaces reduces long waiting times to get into long-term care facilities, ensures our loved ones are living in comfort, and are receiving quality care.”

“This is a tremendously positive step for our seniors across Ottawa. Through our investments in the Budget we will see new and upgraded beds in long-term care, addressing an urgent need in our communities.”

“We are thankful to the government for their announcement today to increase long-term care capacity in our community. We are pleased to be partnering with Schlegel Villages to develop an integrated campus of care at the Riverside, that will offer world-class care to patients in our community.”

“Ontarians deserve truly innovative models of care designed to meet their individualized needs locally and we are truly excited to extend our already extensive continuum of care model to include seniors living here in this community and those who need acute care services in the hospital. Our outstanding partners with SE Health Inc and the Ottawa Hospital will help us offer this more extensive continuum of care to benefit seniors with a more seamless and integrated care experience, whatever their needs may be or how they may change over time.”

Additional resources

• Backgrounder: Ontario Providing New and Upgraded Long-Term Care Spaces

•  2020 Ontario Budget/Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover

• Visit Ontario’s website to learn more about how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19.

• Emergency information and orders

• For public inquiries call ServiceOntario, INFOline at 1-866-532-3161 (Toll-free in Ontario only)

Media contact

Ministry of Long-Term Care Media Line
Communications Branch
MLTC.Media@ontario.ca

Krystle Caputo
Office of the Minister of Long-Term Care
Krystle.Caputo@ontario.ca