Ontario Connecting Long-Term Care Residents in Northeastern Ontario to Specialized Care and Supports

May 23, 2023

The Ontario government is investing over $2 million in 14 projects in Northeastern Ontario to help seniors with complex needs like dementia and bariatric care connect to specialized care and supports in a home instead of a hospital. This is part of a $20 million investment in 2022-23 in 189 projects provincewide through a new Local Priorities Fund operated by Ontario Health.

“This investment, tailored to the needs of our community, will provide long-term care residents right here in Northeastern Ontario with the specialized supports and services they need,” said George Pirie, MPP for Timmins. “Under Premier Doug Ford’s leadership, we’re taking action to bolster our province’s long-term care system and put residents’ needs first.”

Some Local Priorities Fund projects help residents get specialized care in their long-term care home, reducing emergency department visits and hospital admissions. Others help long-term care homes admit alternate level of care hospital patients – people who no longer require acute care in hospital, but who have complex needs that are difficult to accommodate without specialized services and supports.

The 14 projects that have been allocated funding in Northeastern Ontario are:

Clinical Behavioural Transitions Specialist in carrying out care planning and engaging patients in activities designed to reduce responsive behaviours, in order to facilitate transition to their discharge destination, which often includes long-term care homes;

“We’re expanding specialized services and supports for long-term care residents so that people with complex needs get the care they need and deserve in the comfort of a home, instead of a hospital,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Our government is taking action to ensure Ontario’s seniors get the right care in the right place.”

The Local Priorities Fund is part of an investment of over $120 million in 2022-23 to provide access to a range of specialized services and supports that are helping long-term care residents with complex needs access connected and convenient care in the right place.

The government is fixing long-term care to ensure Ontario’s seniors get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve both now and in the future. This work is built on four pillars: staffing and care; quality and enforcement; building modern, safe, and comfortable homes; and providing seniors with faster, more convenient access to the services they need.

QUICK FACTS

The province has also announced Local Priorities Fund projects in the Niagara region, Ottawa, Brampton, Mississauga, and Windsor and Essex County.
Ontario’s over $120 million investment in specialized services and supports in 2022-23 included up to $20 million for the Ontario Health Local Priorities Fund referenced in today’s announcement, $5.91 million for four new Behavioural Specialized Units in long-term care homes, an additional $5 million for Behavioural Supports Ontario, $2.6 million for Baycrest’s Virtual Behaviour Medicine program, and $4.5 million to build dedicated spaces for health care at a new seniors’ housing complex in Kenora.

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