Ontario expanding services and supports for long-term care residents in Oxford

$136,384 will help local homes accommodate residents with complex needs, keep them out of hospital

 

[WOODSTOCK] – The Ontario government is investing $136,384 in 3 projects throughout Oxford to help seniors with complex medical needs like dementia and bariatric care connect to specialized care and supports in their long-term care home instead of a hospital. This is part of a $20 million investment this year in 189 projects province-wide through a new Local Priorities Fund operated by Ontario Health.

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

Some of the local projects will do this by helping residents get the specialized care they need in their long-term care home without having to go to the emergency room (ER) or be admitted to hospital. Others will support the admission into homes of people who no longer require acute care in hospital, but who have complex needs that can be difficult to accommodate without specialized services and supports.

The projects in Oxford that are receiving funding include:

• $7,342 to peopleCare Tavistock for the purchase of a bladder scanner to support assessment needs of their residents for continence and genitourinary care, with the goal of early identification of urinary retention, prevention of bladder infections and reduction in emergency department transfers;
• $5,292 to peopleCare Tavistock for the purchase of a bariatric bed, commode and bed surface for bariatric patients;
• $123,750 to Woodingford Lodge to support individuals in hospitals or in the community adjust to living in long-term care.

“Our government is increasing our investment in bold, creative and innovative solutions that conveniently connect long-term care residents to the specialized care they need in the comfort of their long-term care home, instead of a hospital,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Initiatives like the Local Priorities Fund ensure Ontarians are being connected with the right care in the right place, close to their family and friends.”

Today’s announcement is part of an investment of over $120 million in 2022-23 to provide access to a range of long-term care-focused specialized services and supports that are helping people with complex needs access connected and convenient care in the right place.

“Funding from Ontario’s Local Priorities Fund will allow Woodingford Lodge to invest in the specialized needs of new and existing long-term care residents, help prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, and enable better transitions from hospital to long-term care,” said Jerry Acchione, Deputy Warden for Oxford County. “Having launched Canada’s first transition program in 2019 to help prospective residents and their families adjust to long-term care before the day of admission, Woodingford’s Family Transition Program has already helped more than 200 people through this process and, with this funding support, looks forward to helping many more.”

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 supporting the broader continuum of services for seniors.