FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2021
CARLETON — The Ontario government is making an historic investment in 80 new long-term care projects — including 60 new beds and 70 redeveloped beds at the Osgoode Care Centre in Metcalfe. These spaces are part of the government’s delivery of 30,000 much-needed long-term care spaces over ten years.
The projects are:
- Osgoode Care Centre, in Metcalfe, is being allocated 60 new spaces and 70 upgraded spaces. The project will involve renovation and addition and will result in a 160-bed home in Metcalfe, a rural community in Ottawa.
- DTOC II Ottawa, in Orleans, is being allocated 164 new spaces and 60 upgraded spaces. The project will result in a 224-bed home through the construction of a new building in Orleans as part of a campus of care. DTOC II – Ottawa is a designated Francophone home.
- Extendicare-Ottawa#2, in Ottawa, is being allocated 192 upgraded spaces. This project will involve renovations resulting in a 192-bed home in Ottawa.
- Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre has been allocated 156 spaces to build a long-term care as part of a campus of care. The project will result in a 240-bed home through the construction of a new building in Ottawa.
“This is incredible news for the residents of Carleton, and in particular the communities of Metcalfe, Greely, Osgoode, and surrounding areas,” said Goldie Ghamari, MPP for Carleton. “Carleton is home to a large population of seniors who have lived and worked in their communities their entire lives. Many have been waiting for accessible long-term care beds that are closer to home, so that they can continue to be active and involved in their communities. This funding will enable the Osgoode Care Centre build new beds and redevelop its existing beds, which in turn will provide more opportunities for seniors, their caregivers, family and friends, to remain close together.”
In addition to modernizing the long-term care sector, these projects will help reduce waitlists and end hallway medicine. Province-wide, these investments also support key government priorities, including eliminating three and four bed ward rooms, creating campuses of care and providing new spaces for Indigenous, Francophone and other cultural community residents.
“Our loved ones in long-term care deserve a comfortable, modern place to live, near family and friends, with the support they need when they need it,” said Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care and MPP for Kanata-Carleton. “These new and upgraded spaces, built to modern design standards, will help prevent and contain the transmission of infectious diseases and ensure residents have access to the care they need in a safe and secure environment.”
Criteria for selecting the projects being announced today included:
- Upgrading older homes in response to lessons learned around improved Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) measures, particularly the elimination of three and four-bed rooms;
- Adding spaces to areas where there is high need;
- Addressing the growing needs of diverse groups, including Francophone and Indigenous communities; and/or,
- Promoting campuses of care to better address the specialized care needs of residents.
QUICK FACTS
- These projects are part Ontario’s Long-Term Care Modernization Plan.
- As of December 2020, more than 40,000 people across Ontario were on the waitlist to access a long-term care bed.
- Across the province, the Ontario government is moving forward with 80 new long-term care projects, which will lead to an additional 7,510 new and 4,197 upgraded long-term care spaces.
- Ontario is investing $933 million in these projects provincewide, on top of the $1.75 billion already earmarked for the delivery of 30,000 new spaces over ten years.
- With this new allocation, Ontario now has 20,161 new and 15,918 redevelopment spaces in the development pipeline.
- Ontario has committed to an average of four hours of direct care per day for our loved ones living in long term care homes. Ontario is the first province in Canada to take this important step.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Visit Ontario’s website to learn more about how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19.
- Emergency information and orders
- For public inquiries call ServiceOntario, INFOline at 1-866-532-3161 (Toll-free in Ontario only)
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MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Candice Coates, Executive Assistant
Office of Goldie Ghamari, MPP
candice.coates@pc.ola.org
613-257-9522
