Ontario Investing in More Than 500 Long-Term Care Beds in Bruce-Grey

Media Release from the Province of Ontario - September 23, 2019

OWEN SOUND — Today (September 23), Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care, was joined by Effie Triantafilopoulos, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Long-Term Care, and Bill Walker, Associate Minister of Energy and MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, at Maple View Long-Term Care Residence to announce the government is moving forward with long-term care development projects that will improve access for families in Bruce-Grey by allocating almost 200 new long-term care beds and redeveloping more than 300 existing beds to modern design standards.

Of these, the government is:

• Allocating 51 new long-term care beds and redeveloping 77 existing beds at Meaford Long Term Care Centre;
• Allocating 28 new beds and redeveloping 100 existing beds as part of the Rockwood Terrace project in Durham.

Across the province, there are more than 36,000 Ontarians waiting to get into a long-term care home, putting strain on the health care system and leaving residents waiting too long for the care they desperately need. The government is taking swift action and delivering on its commitment to end hallway health care by creating and redeveloping long-term care beds in communities across Ontario.

"Our government is creating a 21st century long-term care system that is resident-centred and builds capacity and access for residents and caregivers across Ontario," said Fullerton. "We want to ensure that Ontarians get the care they need when they need it and investing in more long-term care spaces across the province is a key part of our plan."

In addition, the government is reaffirming its commitment to the following projects by:

• Allocating 26 new beds and redeveloping 70 existing beds as part of The Village Seniors Community New Build project in Hanover;
• Allocating 91 new beds and redeveloping 69 existing beds as part of the Southbridge Owen Sound project in Owen Sound.

These new beds will help take pressure off hospitals, allow doctors and nurses to work more efficiently and provide better, faster health care for families and patients across the broader Bruce-Grey region.

"The new long-term care bed allocations in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound are part of our government's commitment to create 15,000 long-term care beds within five years," said MPP Walker. "Creating these new long-term care beds and redeveloping older beds is key to our transformational strategy to end hallway health care in Ontario and key to ensuring our cherished senior citizens have access to the care they need close to home."

The government is continuing to work with the long-term care sector to ensure the system is responsive to the needs of Ontarians by increasing access to appropriate care and reducing waitlists, while also maintaining patient safety and ensuring high standards of care.