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

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

The Voice of Canada : The Ontario government is investing more than $1.3 million in 11 long-term care homes in Hamilton to help seniors with complex needs like dementia and bariatric care connect to specialized care and supports in a home instead of a hospital. This is part of a $20 million investment in 2022-23 in 189 projects provincewide through a new Local Priorities Fund operated by Ontario Health.

“We’re expanding specialized services and supports for long-term care residents in Hamilton, so people with complex needs get the care they need and deserve in the comfort of a home, instead of a hospital,” said John Jordan, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Long-Term Care. “Our government is taking action to ensure Ontario’s seniors get the right care in the right place.”

Local Priorities Fund projects help residents get specialized care in their long-term care home, reducing emergency department visits and hospital admissions. They can also help long-term care homes admit alternate level of care hospital patients — people 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 allocated funding in Hamilton are:

• $785,508 for three projects at Idlewyld Manor for bariatric and diagnostic equipment, and eight beds for people with medically complex conditions;
• $233,235 for The Village of Wentworth Heights for bariatric equipment, diagnostic equipment, wound care mattresses, and specialized dementia training for staff;
• $210,635 to Hamilton Continuing Care for bariatric and diagnostic equipment (bladder scanner), wound care mattresses, and specialized dementia training for staff;
• $53,268 for two projects at Shalom Village to purchase bariatric and diagnostic equipment;
• $19,421 to Alexander Place for diagnostic equipment;
• $19,176 to Heritage Green Nursing Home for diagnostic equipment;
• $17,217 to St. Peter’s Residence at Chedoke for diagnostic equipment;
• $8,698 to Ridgeview Long Term Care Home for diagnostic equipment;
• $7,343 to Wentworth Lodge for diagnostic equipment;
• $7,343 to Macassa Lodge for diagnostic equipment; and
• $3,500 to Regina Gardens for bariatric equipment.

The Local Priorities Fund is part of a broader 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, Brampton, Mississauga, Windsor-Essex and Eastern Ontario.
• Ontario’s over $120 million investment in specialized services and supports in 2022-23 included 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 more than 30,000 new and 28,000 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 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, $4.9 billion commitment to increase the provincewide average direct care time provided to residents to four hours per day by March 31, 2025

Quotes

“Today’s $1.3 million investment in the Hamilton community demonstrates our government’s commitment to fixing long-term care in this province. This funding will help ensure Hamilton seniors receive the specialized medical care they need along with the quality of life they deserve.”-Neil Lumsden, MPP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek

“This investment in Hamilton long-term care homes will assist seniors with complex needs like dementia and bariatric care to receive specialized care in their long-term care home. The investment furthers our government’s priority of reducing emergency room visits and hospitable admissions.”-Donna Skelly, MPP, Flamborough—Glanbrook

“We continue to be committed to moving individuals with complex needs to community settings where they can receive quality care in a home-like environment. Access to specialized diagnostic equipment and these new beds provides us with an opportunity to help address hospital pressures and contribute to the overall transformation of the healthcare system. “- Steve Sherrer, CEO, Thrive Group (operator of Idlewyld Manor)