Big plans for new long-term-care beds in Haldimand-Norfolk
Plans are in the works to create or upgrade nearly 700 long-term-care beds in Haldimand-Norfolk.
MPP Toby Barrett recently announced ministerial approval for 42 new beds and 54 upgraded beds at Caressant Care Courtland, one of six homes in the two counties slated for provincial funding.
When construction's done, there will be 96 residents who have a brand new place to call home," Barrett told reporters.
Taken together, Queen's Park is prepared to fund 348 new long-term-care spaces and upgrade 324 existing beds in Haldimand-Norfolk, part of a provincewide effort to add 28,000 new and 25,000 upgraded beds by 2028 at a cost of $6.4 billion.
Two of the local homes tabbed for upgrades are publicly run - Norfolk Hospital Nursing Home in Simcoe and Edgewater Gardens in Dunnville - while the rest are private ventures.
In the latter group is Anson Place Care Centre, a Hagersville facility operated by Rykka Care Centres that was the site of the region's deadliest COVID-19 outbreak, with at least 27 residents killed by the virus in 2020.
A Toronto Star investigation found that for-profit homes reported far more" COVID-19 deaths per capita than public or not-for-profit homes, even when accounting for building age and location.
Some long-term-care advocates, politicians and relatives of residents who died of COVID have called for a move away from for-profit operations in the sector.
But Barrett said with government oversight through stepped-up inspection and enforcement, along with legislative changes such as an end to four-person rooms, there is room for private ownership.
My view is it does not necessarily matter whether the facility is for-profit or not-for-profit or government-run," he said.
What levels the playing field? In my view, it's existing legislation and regulation, but also the new legislation we're passing right now to hold all licensees to account, regardless of where their funding comes from."
He pointed to compliance audits to make sure ministry design standards are met during construction and $72 million in funding over three years to double the number of inspectors that are in and out of these facilities."
It would be impractical, Barrett added, for the government to start buying up for-profit homes."
There's not enough money to buy everybody out," he said. Our job is to make all of them modernized and provide the best and safest possible care."
A spokesperson for Caressant Care - a private company that runs 15 nursing and retirement homes in Ontario - welcomed the promised government funding for their Courtland location.
It's good news to be able to increase capacity in long-term care that's much needed," said Stuart Oakley, noting there are roughly 3,500 people waiting for a spot in the Haldimand-Norfolk area.
Oakley said the renovated facility will have improved ventilation and all residents will either have a private or semiprivate room.
The Conservative plan also calls for $5 billion over four years to train and hire more than 27,000 health-care workers in the long-term-care sector.
This will help bring us up to an average of four hours of daily care for each resident," Barrett said.
J.P. Antonacci's reporting on Haldimand and Norfolk is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. jpantonacci@thespec.com