Ontario Connecting Long-Term Care Residents in Brampton to Specialized Care and Supports

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

The Voice Canada News: The Ontario government is investing $1,031,899 in six projects in Brampton 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 this year in 189 projects provincewide through a new Local Priorities Fund operated by Ontario Health.

“Our government is increasing our investment in bold, creative and innovative solutions that conveniently connect long-term care residents in Brampton 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.”

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 an emergency room or be admitted to hospital. Others will support the admission of people into long-term care homes who no longer require acute care in hospital, but who have complex needs that are difficult to accommodate without specialized services and supports.

The projects in Brampton that are receiving funding are:

• $580,124 to Peel Manor long-term care home for a new, 26-bed Behavioural Specialized Unit, to support people with more complex responsive behaviours associated with conditions like dementia;
• $110,784 to Peel Manor for bariatric, diagnostic and other specialized equipment;
• $170,466 to The Village of Sandalwood Park long-term care home for bariatric and diagnostic equipment;
• $109,884 to Tall Pines long-term care home for bariatric, diagnostic and other specialized equipment;
• $39,167 to William Osler Health System and long-term care homes in the community for the expansion of nurse-led outreach teams, to provide more specialized nursing care in homes and build the capacity of home staff; and
• $21,474 to Burton Manor long-term care home for bariatric and diagnostic equipment.

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.

Quick Facts

The province has also announced Local Priorities Fund projects in the Niagara region, Ottawa, and Mississauga.
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, Ontario now has 31,705 new and 28,648 upgraded beds in development across the province. This will help increase overall bed capacity, address long-term care waitlists and hallway health care, and provide our seniors the care they deserve.

The Ontario government is providing up to $1.25 billion to long-term care homes this year to hire and retain thousands of additional long-term care staff, part of the government’s historic four-year, $4.9 billion commitment to ensure residents receive, on average, four hours of direct care per day by March 31, 2025.

Quotes

“Our government is ensuring the seniors of Brampton receive the high-quality care they deserve in an environment that suits their needs. This announcement includes over $280,000 for Brampton North, which is welcome news in addition to the bold measures our province is taking such as transforming Peel Memorial into a new, 24/7 inpatient care hospital.”-Graham McGregor, MPP for Brampton North

“Brampton’s seniors are a treasured and respected part of our community, and ensuring they have access to the quality care they deserve is key to building a stronger Ontario for the long term. Burton Manor is doing important work to enrich the lives of seniors in my riding, and today’s announcement will expand access to specialized services and supports in long-term care homes across Brampton so that our seniors can live their golden years in dignity and with peace and comfort.”-Prabmeet Sarkaria, MPP for Brampton South

“This investment is helping our seniors with complex health care needs access the specialized care and supports they need in the comfort and convenience of their own long-term care homes. Today’s announcement will help Peel Manor create a new 26-bed Behavioural Specialized Unit to support people with conditions like dementia and purchase a variety of diagnostic and medical equipment to prevent avoidable emergency room visits.”-Amarjot Sandhu, MPP for Brampton West

“The Local Priorities Fund will enable long-term care homes to provide specialized supports to their residents and reduce hospital transfers. The need for more innovative supports and integrated care models is critical to address the complex care needs of both long-term care residents and seniors. We are excited to operationalize our Transitional Behavioural Support Unit which will not only help seniors in crisis, but also alleviate pressure from our hospital partners. Thank you to Minister Calandra and his team for their continued support and I am hopeful that funding like this will continue in the months and years to come.”-Nando Iannicca, Regional Chair, Peel Region