Ontario Connecting Long-Term Care Residents in London & St. Thomas to Specialized Care and Supports

Investment providing supports in long-term care homes instead of hospitals

NEWS                                                                                April 28, 2023

LONDON — The Ontario government is investing $236,967 in 5 projects in London and St. Thomas to help seniors with complex medical needs like dementia and bariatric care connect to specialized care and supports in their long-term care home instead of a hospital. This is part of a $20 million investment in 189 projects provincewide through a new Local Priorities Fund operated by Ontario Health.

“This investment, tailored to the needs of our community, will provide long-term care residents right here in London and St. Thomas with the specialized supports and services they need,” said Rob Flack, MPP for Elgin-Middlesex-London. “Under Premier Doug Ford’s leadership, we’re taking action to bolster our province’s long-term care system and put residents’ needs first.”

Some of the local projects will do this by helping residents get the specialized care they need in their long-term care home without having to go to the emergency room or be admitted to hospital. Others will support the admission into homes of people who no longer require acute care in hospital, but who have complex needs that can be difficult to accommodate without specialized services and supports.

The projects in London and St. Thomas receiving funding are:

• $6,498 to Elgin Manor in St. Thomas for the purchase of diagnostic equipment to support the admission of residents with complex care needs like dialysis;
• $7,342 to peopleCare Oakcrossing Long-Term Care Home in London for the purchase of diagnostic equipment to prevent avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalizations;
• $5,292 to peopleCare Oakcrossing Long-Term Care Home in London for the purchase of bariatric equipment to support the admission of residents with bariatric care needs;
• $4,100 to The Village of Glendale Crossing in London for the purchase of medical equipment to support the admission of residents with bariatric care needs; and
• $213,735 to The Village of Glendale Crossing in London for the purchase of diagnostic, bariatric, and other specialized equipment to support the admission of residents with complex care needs and to prevent avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

“Our government is increasing our investment in bold, creative, and innovative solutions that conveniently connect long-term care residents to the specialized care they need in the comfort of their long-term care home instead of a hospital,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Initiatives like the Local Priorities Fund ensure Ontarians are being connected with the right care in the right place, close to their family and friends.”

The Local Priorities Fund is part of an investment of over $120 million in 2022-23 to provide access to a range of specialized services and supports that are helping long-term care residents with complex needs access connected and convenient care in the right place.

The government is fixing long-term care to ensure Ontario’s seniors get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve both now and in the future. This work is built on four pillars: staffing and care; quality and enforcement; building modern, safe, and comfortable homes; and providing seniors with faster, more convenient access to the services they need.

“Each and every day, the comfort and well-being of all 247 residents across our three Long-Term Care Homes remains our top priority,” said Elgin County Warden Ed Ketchabaw. “Prior to receiving this funding, our Homes were sharing only one bladder scanner, which meant up to 45 minutes of travel time between Homes. We are delighted to have secured Provincial funding for an additional bladder scanner at Elgin Manor, which will enable us to provide an even higher level of onsite care for our residents while alleviating the increasing burden on our local hospitals.”

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario’s over $120 million investment in specialized services and supports in 2022-23 includes up to $20 million for the Ontario Health Local Priorities Fund referenced in today’s announcement, $5.91 million for four new Behavioural Specialized Units in long-term care homes, an additional $5 million for Behavioural Supports Ontario, $2.6 million for Baycrest’s Virtual Behaviour Medicine program, and $4.5 million to build dedicated spaces for health care at a new seniors’ housing complex in Kenora.
• Through a $6.4 billion investment, the province is adding nearly 60,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds and increasing the amount of care residents receive so seniors can live with dignity. This will increase the number of available beds to help address wait lists for long-term care and ensure seniors are being cared for in the right place, where they can connect to more supports and recreational and social activities that may not be available if they are being cared for in a hospital while waiting to move into a long-term care home.
• The province has also made a $4.9 billion commitment over four years to increase the average daily direct care time provided by nurses and personal support workers to four hours per resident by March 31, 2025. This also includes increasing the system average direct care provided by allied health professionals to 36 minutes per resident per day by March 31, 2023.  As part of this commitment, the Ontario government provided $673 million to long-term care homes in 2022-23 and is providing $1.25 billion to long-term care homes in 2023-24 to hire and retain thousands of long-term care staff across the province.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care

MEDIA CONTACT   Jake Roseman Office of the Minister of Long-Term Care Jake.Roseman@ontario.ca   Ministry of Long-Term Care Media Line Communications Branch MLTC.Media@ontario.ca