Ontario taking action to immediately increase staffing in Long Term Care

October 8, 2021

The Ontario government will provide more than $3 million for long-term care homes in Huron-Bruce. The money is part of the $270 million the province is investing this year to long-term care homes to increase staffing levels, leading to more direct care for residents.

“Our government is fixing a broken system and we are committed to making long-term care a better place for residents to live, and a better place for staff to work,” said Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson.

This is part of the province’s commitment to ensure long-term care residents receive—on average—four hours of direct care per day by 2024-25. It was also announced that as part of the government’s plan to fix long-term care, it will bring forward legislation that will enshrine its commitment to four hours of care into law.

The announced funding for additional staffing this year to increase the hours of direct care for residents across the region includes:

· Brucelea Haven, in Walkerton, will receive up to $512,950. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $3,141,744 annually more than their current funding.
· Huronview, in Clinton, will receive up to $427,462. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $2,618,124 annually more than their current funding.
· Huronlea Home for the Aged, in Brussels, will receive up to $227,978. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $1,396,332 annually more than their current funding.
· Bluewater Rest Home, in Zurich, will receive up to $231,539. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $1,418,148 annually more than their current funding.
. Pinecrest Manor Nursing Home, in Lucknow, will receive up to $188,793. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $1,156,332 annually more than their current funding.
· Southampton Care Centre, in Southampton, will receive up to $292,098. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $1,789,044 annually more than their current funding.
· Fordwich Village Nursing Home, in Fordwich, will receive up to $92,614. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $567,264 annually more than their current funding.
· Maitland Manor, in Goderich, will receive up to $260,033. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $1,592,688 annually more than their current funding.
· Queensway Long Term Care Home, in Hensall, will receive up to $181,677. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $1,112,700 annually more than their current funding.
· Seaforth Long Term Care Home, in Seaforth, will receive up to $167,419. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $1,025,436 annually more than their current funding.
· Exeter Villa Nursing Home, in Exeter, will receive up to $156,738. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $959,976 annually more than their current funding.
· Trillium Court, in Kincardine, will receive up to $121,113. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $741,804 annually more than their current funding.
· Braemar Retirement Centre, in Wingham, will receive up to $185,232. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $1,134,528 annually more than their current funding.

“This funding will allow homes in our community to hire and retain more staff so they can provide more care to residents, every day,” Thompson added. “This is part of our government’s plan to hire thousands of new staff over the next four years to ensure those living in long-term care get the high-quality care they need and deserve.”

“We know that more qualified staff means more daily care for residents,” said Rod Phillips, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Hiring more staff is part of our government’s plan to fix long-term care and to improve the quality of care residents receive and the quality of life they experience.”

Currently, residents receive an average of two hours and 45 minutes of direct care from nurses and personal support workers. This funding will increase the daily average to 3 hours, per resident per day by the end of this fiscal year. This funding also includes $42.8M to homes to increase care by allied health care professionals (such as physiotherapists and social workers) by 10% this year.

The government is investing $4.9 billion over four years to boost direct resident care to an average of four hours daily by increasing care staff by more than 27,000 people. Hiring thousands of new staff at long-term homes and increasing the amount of care they deliver each year will be made possible by annual funding increases to homes:

· $270 million in 2021-22

· $673 million in 2022-23

· $1.25 billion in 2023-24

· $1.82 billion in 2024-25