Rae Announces Support for Specialized Care in Long-Term Care

[St. Marys, ON]— Today, Matthew Rae, MPP for Perth-Wellington announced over $80,000 in provincial funding for three local long-term care projects. This funding will help seniors with complex medical needs like dementia and bariatric receive specialized care in their long-term care home instead of a hospital.

“These investments will ensure our rural long-term care homes can continue to provide the highest quality of care for their residents locally,” said MPP Rae. “It will help keep our seniors out of the hospital and help them live a better life.”

This funding is part of a $20 million investment this year in 189 projects provincewide through a new Local Priorities Fund operated by Ontario Health.

The projects in Perth—Wellington receiving funding are:

• $8,700 to Spruce Lodge for the purchase of diagnostic equipment to prevent avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalizations;

• $52,417 to Kingsway Lodge for the purchase of bariatric equipment and specialized training for staff on dementia, palliative, and wound care to support the admission of residents with bariatric and other complex care needs and to prevent avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalizations; and

• $19,207 to Kingsway Lodge for the purchase of diagnostic equipment 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 new Local Priorities Fund provides our long-term care homes with the flexibility to develop innovative solutions and identify ways to address the unique needs of their residents,” Rae added.

The provincial 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.

This is part of the province’s commitment to invest $4.9 billion 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.