The Ontario government will provide up to $270 million this year to long-term care homes across the province to increase staffing levels, leading to more direct care for residents. This includes $2,475,697 for long-term care homes in Parry Sound-Muskoka.
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 following funding will increase care for residents:
- Belvedere Heights, in Parry Sound, will receive up to $359,778 for additional staffing this year to increase the hours of direct care for residents. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $ 2,203,584 annually more than their current funding.
- Fairvern Nursing Home, in Huntsville, will receive up to $199,484 for additional staffing this year to increase the hours of direct care for residents. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $1,221,792 annually more than their current funding.
- Lakeland Long-Term Care, in Parry Sound, will receive up to $320,592 for additional staffing this year to increase the hours of direct care for residents. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $1,963,584 annually more than their current funding.
- Muskoka Landing, in Huntsville, will receive up to $334,839 for additional staffing this year to increase the hours of direct care for residents. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $ 2,050,860 annually more than their current funding.
- Muskoka Shores Care Community, in Gravenhurst, will receive up to $691,061 for additional staffing this year to increase the hours of direct care for residents. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $4,232,628 annually more than their current funding.
- The Pines, in Bracebridge, will receive up to $569,943 for additional staffing this year to increase the hours of direct care for residents. By the year 2024-2025, the home will receive $3,490,824 annually more than their current funding.
“This funding will allow homes in our communities to hire and retain more staff so they can provide more care to residents, every day,” said MPP Norman Miller. “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 per day. This funding is designed to 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
