GUELPH — Construction is underway at Fairview Mennonite Homes in Cambridge, peopleCare A.R. Goudie in Kitchener, and The Elliott Long Term Care Residence in Guelph. These three homes are among the 67 long-term care home projects fast-tracked this fall with support from the Ontario government’s increased provincial construction funding subsidy for construction starts before August 31, 2023. This is part of the Ontario government’s commitment to build more than 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds across the province.
“Congratulations to the teams at Fairview Mennonite Homes, peopleCare A.R. Goudie Kitchener and The Elliott Long Term Care Residence on their ground-breakings for three modernized and expanded homes. Our government is fixing long-term care and ensuring we build homes for seniors in the communities they help build,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Today marks a significant milestone for Cambridge, Kitchener and Guelph. When construction is complete, 349 additional residents will have a new, modern and comfortable place to call home.”
The current 84-bed long-term care home at Fairview Mennonite Homes in Cambridge will add two additional wings and one floor to create a modernized 192-bed home, including 11 additional beds proposed for dementia care. The home is part of a campus of care, which includes retirement suites, independent living, and supports for home care and active living. The expanded home is expected to welcome its first residents in fall 2025.
Construction at peopleCare A.R. Goudie Kitchener will deliver a new 128-bed building as an addition to the current 80-bed home, which creates a 208-bed home. The home will be part of a new campus of care that offers a range of housing options for older adults. The new building is expected to welcome its first residents in fall 2025.
A renovation at The Elliott Long Term Care Residence in Guelph will add 29 new beds to create a modernized 114-bed home. The home is part of a campus of care that also includes a retirement home and independent living. These buildings, along with the long-term care home, are connected to a community centre hub which is accessible to all residents and their families. The expanded home is expected to welcome its first residents in summer 2024.
All of these homes will feature design improvements, including larger resident common areas and air conditioning throughout the home. The design is centred around ‘resident home areas’, each of which creates a more intimate and familiar living space for up to 32 residents, with dining and activity areas, lounges and bedrooms.
These three homes are among the 67 homes receiving the government’s supplemental increase to the construction funding subsidy, which was designed to stimulate the start of construction for more long-term care homes across Ontario. Under the program, 67 projects have met all government approval criteria to start construction — which means 11,199 new and upgraded beds are now being built to modern design standards across the province.
Quick Facts
- The Ontario government provided $19,208 to Fairview Mennonite Home in Cambridge in 2022-23 for diagnostic equipment, and $12,634 to peopleCare A.R. Goudie Kitchener in 2022-23 for diagnostic and other specialized equipment, to provide better care and help keep residents out of the hospital. This was part of a $20 million investment across the province through the Local Priorities Fund, operated by Ontario Health. The fund is part of a broader investment of over $120 million in 2022-23, with additional funding moving forward, to provide access to a range of specialized services and supports, so that long-term care residents with complex needs can access connected and convenient care in the comfort of their long-term care home instead of a hospital.
- As part of its plan to fix long-term care and address sector waitlists, the government is building more than 30,000 net new long-term care beds in Ontario by 2028 and upgrading more than 28,000 older beds to modern design standards.
- Building more modern, safe and comfortable homes for our seniors is part of the Government of Ontario’s Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021.
- The province is taking innovative steps to get long-term care homes built, including modernizing its funding model, selling unused lands with the requirement that long-term care homes be built on portions of the properties, and leveraging hospital-owned land to build urgently needed homes in large urban areas.
- As of April 2023, more than 40,000 people were on the waitlist to access a long-term care bed in Ontario. The median wait time is 123 days for applicants to be placed in long-term care.
Quotes
“Our government is committed to building long-term care homes that meet the needs of their residents today and in the future. This much-needed expansion of Fairview Mennonite Homes is good news for residents and staff, and I look forward to its completion in 2025 when new residents are able to call it home.”
– Brian Riddell
MPP for Cambridge
“We are seeing unprecedented investment in long-term care in our province, including right here in Waterloo Region. The A.R. Goudie Home has been a part of senior care in Kitchener since 1962 and I am grateful to the Ministry of Long-Term Care for funding a further 80 beds in the already-planned campus development. These beds will contribute greatly to the vibrant community of care envisioned by peopleCare, helping local seniors continue to live and age well.”
– Jess Dixon
MPP for Kitchener South—Hespeler
“Congratulations to everyone at peopleCare. This organization can be proud of doing phenomenal work for seniors in Kitchener—Conestoga. Increasing the number of beds available to seniors in the region will make a difference for families and individuals in our communities. I wish the hard-working staff and organizers the best of luck on your ground-breaking.”
– Mike Harris
MPP for Kitchener—Conestoga
“The expansion of our long-term care home honours a legacy of kindness extending back 80 years. By more than doubling in size, we will continue to serve seniors in this community by increasing access to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual care they need in a beautiful, modern home that supports their dignity and brings peace of mind to their loved ones.”
– Elaine Shantz
President and CEO, Fairview Mennonite Homes
“peopleCare A.R. Goudie LTC, and the beautiful property on which it stands, are part of a long and rich history of helping those in the community who need support. We thank Minister Cho and the government for enabling leading operators like peopleCare to better serve our communities through continued investment, building much-needed long-term care beds and creating jobs that offer meaning and purpose for our caring team members.”
– Brent Gingerich
Chairman and CEO, peopleCare
“The Elliott Community is grateful for the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care’s financial support to expand much-needed, high-quality, people-focused care at the facility. Today’s announcement helps ensure seniors get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve.”
– Cathy Downer
Guelph City Councillor and Chair of the Committee of Management for The Elliott
SOURCE Province of Ontario
Leave a Reply