Midwestern Ontario will see about 170 new long-term care beds added to the region.
Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Cristine Elliott made the announcement in Markham Friday morning. She promised another 16 long-term care projects that will add 1,157 new beds in facilities across Ontario.
The additional beds include 91 at Southbridge in Owen Sound and three new beds at the Knollcrest Expansion Milverton. In Palmerston, the Royal Terrace will see an additional 29 beds and Mount Forest's Strathcona Long Term Care home will see another nine beds. The Collingwood Nursing Home Bay Haven Joint Project will see 40 additional beds.
Elliot said the goal of the health care system is to allow seniors to remain at home as long as they can while enjoying a high quality of life. But says the province will make sure space is available for seniors in long term care homes when and where they need it.
"Our government is building a sustainable, connected and modern health care system, which is putting patients at the centre and ensures the needs of patients, families and caregivers are driving all our decisions," said Elliott. "These new projects are part of our plan to protect and strengthen our health care system. Ontario's seniors need access to long-term care, they need to be able to have access to a bed when and where they need it, and their families need to be kept informed every step of the way. This is putting patients first. With these additional spaces, our government is working to ease pressures on hospitals, and enable nurses, doctors and other care providers to provide better, faster health care for Ontario families and patients."
This is part of the government's commitment to adding 15,000 long-term care beds in five years, bringing the total number of allocated beds to 7,232.
"We are proud that in just nine months, our government has fulfilled almost half of our commitment toward new long-term care spaces in Ontario over five years," said Elliott. "As we move forward to modernize our public health care system, the people of Ontario, including seniors, have and always will be our government's priority. We will create a health care system that works for them and is finally centred on the needs of patients, families and caregivers."