Ontario Makes Historic Investment in Long-Term Care

 Includes 392 spaces in Pickering-Uxbridge 

 

PICKERING, ON — The Ontario government is making an historic investment in 80 new long-term care projects — including two in Pickering-Uxbridge that will lead to 292 new and 100 upgraded long-term care spaces. These spaces are part of the government’s delivery of 30,000 much-needed long-term care spaces over ten years. 

The projects are: 

  • The Regional Municipality of Durham has been allocated 200 new spaces to create a net new home in Pickering. 
  • Reachview Village, in Uxbridge, has been allocated 92 new and 100 upgraded spaces. The project will result in a 192-bed home by the construction of a new building in Uxbridge. 

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 government has been taking historic steps to improve the quality of life for our loved ones by adding capacity and upgrading Ontario’s long-term care homes, including right here in Pickering-Uxbridge. The number of residents who will need long-term care has been rising and will continue to rise over the next decade,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, MPP for Pickering-Uxbridge. “This announcement will help ensure we have safe, modern spaces ready for them to improve their quality of life.” 

“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. “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 province-wide, 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)