NEWS
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

April 4, 2016 8:30 A.M.

 

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 Dipika 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.

 

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

 

QUICK FACTS

• Bloomington Cove is a for-profit organization 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.

 

LEARN MORE

• How to find and apply to a long-term care home
• Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care
• Patients First: A Roadmap to Strengthen Home and Community Care

 

David Jensen Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care 416-314-6197 Polina Osmerkina Associate Minister’s Office 416-325-3754

Available Online Disponible en Français

 

Clarification of Family Council Membership

Nancy Lytle, Director, Performance Improvement and Compliance Branch, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, has released an important memo re: Clarification of Family Council Membership. We appreciate the Ministry's attention to this issue and memo clarifying Family Council membership. The memo is attached below for your reference.

Memo re: Clarification of Family Council Membership (English)
Memo re: Clarification of Family Council Membership (French)

Focus: Lawyers worry about misuse of prior capable wishes by doctors

Focus

Monday, 20 October 2014 08:00 | Written By Judy van Rhijn

 

Safety and Quality in Ontario's Long Term Care Homes

Canada NewsWire

TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2013

Long-Term Care Task Force Delivers Update Report

TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2013 /CNW/ - Today, the Long-Term Care Task Force on Resident Care and Safety issued its second progress update on its three-year Action Plan to address abuse and neglect in long term care homes. The Task Force, which shares the commitment of the public and the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to strengthen resident care and safety in long term care, believes that while more work needs to be done, progress is being made. Today's report shows that increasingly, a culture of resident-centred care is being promoted in the delivery of care to Ontario's 77,000 long term care residents.

Highlights of the progress update include:

• Participation of 3,000 long term care staff, residents, families and volunteers in educational forums to improve resident-centred care and safety.
• A first of its kind education session on the inclusion of Residents' and Family Councils in the quality improvement process presented by the Family Council Program and the Ontario Association of Residents' Councils.
• A new guide, Shifting Focus: A Guide for Understanding Dementia Behaviour, developed by the Alzheimer Society of Ontario is aimed at helping the families and friends of people with dementia living in long term care.

The report also highlights key initiatives of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to support long-term care homes in the delivery of safe care for residents, including:

• $10 million for staff training focusing on prevention of abuse and neglect and  caring for residents with complex/challenging behaviours,
• $10 million for supplies and specialized equipment,
• $59 million for Behavioural Supports Ontario to hire over 600 health care professionals with specialized skills and train more than 34,000 staff to support residents with complex behavioural needs.

While progress continues on all 18 actions set out by the Task Force, four priorities for this year have been identified:

• Declaration of resident care and safety as a top priority
• Establishment of quality committees in all long term care homes
• Development of suitable indicators to reflect abuse, neglect and resident quality of life
• Strengthening sector capacity and leadership in managing responsive/mental health behaviours

The Task Force was established by the long term care sector in November 2011 to respond to media reports and public concern about incidents of abuse and neglect in long term care homes and an underreporting of these incidents. The Task Force issued a report in May 2012 that recommended 18 actions to improve the safety of residents in long term care homes in Ontario.

Read the November 19 Progress Update
Read the May 2012 report of the Long-Term Care Task Force on Resident Care and Safety
For more information visit: www.longtermcaretaskforce.ca

Quotes:

"We know safety is the number one priority of residents and their families. We agree: Ontario's seniors are entitled to the safest, highest quality care and homes that we can provide."
Candace Chartier, CEO, Ontario Long Term Care Association

"The voice of residents and their families is critical as we continue to work to improve the care and safety of long-term care residents in Ontario. This report reflects the ongoing meaningful work of all the partners to achieve positive change throughout the system."
Lois Dent, Concerned Friends of Ontario Citizens in Care Facilities

"While continuing to work on finding meaningful and measurable ways to ultimately improve the quality of life for our long term care home residents, we must include their voice. The progress of the Task Force drives necessary change and will play a key role in working towards person centred care throughout the health care sector."
Donna Fairley, Executive Director, Ontario Association of Residents' Councils

"Ontario families expect that their loved ones are safe and well-cared for in Ontario's long term care homes. Working with our partners in Ontario's Long-Term Care community, our government continues to invest in initiatives that support the highest quality of care and safety. Thank you to the Task Force for their ongoing work and commitment to residents."
Hon. Deb Matthews, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

"I am pleased with the progress made. It's essential that families continue to be valued and participate as an essential partner in the delivery of safe, quality long term care."
Lorraine Purdon, Coordinator, Ontario Family Councils' Program

"This report reflects our continued progress on this important work and the sector's collective commitment to the priorities identified in the Task Force Action Plan."
Donna Rubin, CEO, Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors

SOURCE Long-Term Care Task Force on Resident Care and Safety