News
Ontario Making Long-Term Care Investments in Thunder Bay
Ontario Long-Term Care Investments
Date: 2024-07-24
Supports will help residents connect to care and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions
Thunder Bay - The Ontario government is investing in local long-term care homes in Thunder Bay - Atikokan, to help connect residents with complex needs like dementia and bariatric care to the right care in the right place, while also reducing avoidable emergency department visits and hospital stays.
"I'm pleased to announce that our government is continuing to support long-term care homes in Thunder Bay by investing $2,072,096 into our St. Joesph's Care Group and Southbridge homes to acquire much-needed equipment and to train staff to better manage and treat residents' conditions," said Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay - Atikokan. "This investment will enhance training and infrastructure to provide better quality of care for our growing number of senior residents, reduce avoidable emergency department visits and hospital stays, and overall make the jobs of these dedicated staff easier."
As part of the funding, 5 homes in Thunder Bay are receiving $2,072,096.
| Organization | Amount |
|---|---|
| St. Joseph's Care Group (Hogarth and Bethammi Homes) | $862,000 |
| Southbridge Lakehead | $479,704 |
| Southbridge Pinewood | $202,019 |
| Southbridge Roseview | $528,373 |
The funding will help long-term care homes purchase items such as IV equipment, bariatrics equipment bed support, bladder scanners, and ECGs. The funding even goes towards important everyday things like slip-proof floor mats, wrap around bed rails, and grab bars.
"Our government is continuing to take action to ensure long-term care residents across Ontario get the right care in the right place," said Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care. "This funding will expand specialized staffing, equipment and other services at homes across the province so long-term care residents with complex needs can connect to the care they need, when and where they need it."
Launched in 2022, the Local Priorities Fund invested $20 million in 2022-23 to help long-term care homes purchase specialized equipment and train staff to provide more specialized care, so more homes can welcome residents who have complex needs but no longer require acute care in hospital. The fund also helped current residents who have new, or increasingly complex medical or specialized equipment needs which could not be previously accommodated in their long-term care home, helping to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
"Through the Local Priorities Fund, our government is continuing to ensure that Ontarians, at every stage of life, have access to the care and support they need, when they need it," said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. "This investment builds on the historic work our government is doing to provide people with the right care, in settings most convenient to them, whether in their community or in their home."
"Southbridge remains focused on supporting all those who live and work at our homes, while ensuring that our residents receive the high-quality care and supports, they deserve. The additional funds provided by the Ministry to our Homes through the 2024 Local Priorities funding will go directly to enhancing the quality of life and care of our residents." said William Kunka, Regional Director of Southbridge Health Care.
The flexibility of the Local Priorities Fund gives homes like ours the ability act on feedback from our residents, families, and staff on the things they know will make a difference in the delivery of care. We put the $862,000 to good use at Hogarth Riverview Manor and Bethammi Nursing Home on a range of initiatives including improving the dining experience, delivering safer care through new equipment like ceiling lifts and specialized beds to lower the risk of pressure wounds, and supporting our staff with advanced training on caring for people living with dementia," aid Andrea Docherty, Vice President Clinical & Community Care, St. Joseph's Care Group.
The Local Priorities Fund is part of a broader investment of over $120 million in 2022-23 and complements the recently launched Equipment and Training Fund, which helps long-term care homes purchase more diagnostic equipment and train staff to better manage and treat residents' conditions that often lead to preventable hospital visits, such as urinary tract infections, falls, pneumonia and congestive heart failure.
Quick Facts
- Ontario's over $120 million investment in specialized services and supports in 2022-23 included up to $20 million for the Local Priorities Fund, $3.56 million for existing Behavioural Specialized Units, $5.91 million for new Behavioural Specialized Units in long-term care homes, $74 million for long-term care focused Behavioural Supports Ontario services, with an additional $5 million for Behavioural Supports Ontario enhancement, $2.6 million for Baycrest's Virtual Behaviour Medicine program, $5 million in Preferred Accommodation Supplement 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 government is building more than 30,000 net new long-term care beds in Ontario by 2028 and upgrading more than 28,000 older beds to modern design standards.
- The Ontario government is providing up to $1.8 billion this year to long-term care homes to hire and retain thousands more long-term care staff. This is part of the government's historic four-year commitment of up to $4.9 billion to increase the provincewide average direct care time provided to residents to four hours per day by March 31, 2025.
Media Contact
Karson Cameron, Director of Communications
Office of Kevin Holland, MPP Thunder Bay-Atikokan
807-623-6702
karson.cameron@pc.ola.org
