NAPANEE — Construction is underway at Lennox and Addington County General Hospital in Napanee and at Westgate Lodge in Belleville. This is part of the Ontario government’s $6.4 billion commitment to build more than 30,000 new beds by 2028 and 28,000 upgraded long-term care beds across the province.
“Congratulations to Lennox and Addington County General Hospital and Westgate Lodge on their ground-breakings for two long-term care homes. Our government is fixing long-term care and a key part of that plan is building modern, safe and comfortable homes for our seniors,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Today’s construction starts represent significant milestones. When these two projects are completed, 288 residents will have a new place to call home, near their family and friends.”
The new state-of-the-art 128-bed home at Lennox and Addington County General Hospital in Napanee is expected to welcome residents in spring 2025 and will be part of a campus of care, which helps integrate the long-term care home into the broader health care system and ensures residents can conveniently connect to the care they need. The new home will be adjacent to the existing local seniors centre, healthcare services and a satellite dialysis service. It will also offer six negative pressure beds, which support infection control and operate as isolation rooms.
The redevelopment of Westgate Lodge will be completed in two phases. The first phase is expected to start welcoming its first new residents in fall 2025. The finished home will bring a total of 160 new and upgraded, modern long-term care beds to Belleville.
Once completed, both homes will feature design improvements including larger resident common areas and air conditioning throughout the home. Both designs are centred around ‘resident home areas’ to create more intimate and familiar living spaces for up to 32 residents, with dining and activity areas, lounges and bedrooms.
The development of the new beds at Lennox and Addington County General Hospital is made possible by an agreement between the Ministry of Long-Term Care and the Ontario Financing Authority (OFA) which helps hospital long-term care development projects unlock lending and reduces borrowing costs so Ontario’s seniors have access to a range of choices for their long-term care needs.
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. The plan is built on four pillars: staffing and care; quality and enforcement; building modern, safe and comfortable homes; and connecting seniors with faster, more convenient access to the services they need.
Quick Facts
- The Ontario government provided $28,902 to the 22-bed long-term care home at Lennox and Addington County General Hospital in 2022-23 for specialized staffing to support complex resident care needs and help keep them out of the hospital. This was part of a $20 million investment in 189 projects provincewide 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.
- The Ontario government is on track to build 30,000 much-needed new long-term care beds in the province by 2028, and is redeveloping older beds to modern design standards. Through a $6.4 billion investment, Ontario has 31,705 new and 28,648 upgraded beds in the planning, construction and opening stages of the development process. This will help increase overall bed capacity, address long-term care waitlists and hallway health care, and provide our seniors with the care they deserve.
- 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.
- The Ontario government is providing a supplemental increase to the construction funding subsidy to stimulate the start of construction by August 31, 2023 for more long-term care homes across the province, including the home at Lennox and Addington County General Hospital and Westgate Lodge. Not-for-profit homes have the option to receive a portion of the funding as an up-front construction grant payable at the start of construction. The supplemental increase is part of the funding for long-term care home development.
- 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
“In this region, we have had a long-standing need for more long-term care beds. With this project, I’m thankful to the Ontario government for fulfilling its commitment to provide long-term care homes for those in need so they can stay in our community. I’m also very appreciative of all the work by Wayne Coveyduck and the entire Lennox and Addington County General Hospital staff to make this partnership happen.”
– Ric Bresee
MPP for Hastings—Lennox and Addington
“We are proud to join forces with the Ministry of Long-Term Care in the construction of a new long-term care home, demonstrating our commitment to meeting the unique needs of seniors in rural communities. With this project, we aim to create a model facility that goes beyond providing comfortable living spaces by incorporating innovative design and personalized care. Together, we will enhance the lives of seniors, fostering a sense of belonging and community where they can thrive and maintain connections with their loved ones.”
– Wayne Coveyduck
President & CEO, Lennox and Addington County General Hospital
“It’s a great day for Bay of Quinte as we see the construction underway for this modern 160-bed home as part of the Westgate Lodge redevelopment. There’s a great need for access to the dignified and personal care delivered in long-term care homes, and we’re fortunate to have partners like the Freeman family and Crown Ridge Health Services working with our government to start building. Congratulations to them on this achievement as the first project to break ground among those planned to modernize and transform services in our community.”
– Todd Smith
MPP for Bay of Quinte
“With great excitement we are pleased to start construction of our new home. We have been planning this redevelopment for some time and are immensely grateful to the Ontario government and the Ministry of Long-Term Care for assisting us in making this a reality. Our design promotes our philosophy of “Embracing Life’s Journey” by creating an atmosphere that is comfortable, inviting, thriving and safe. This is an exciting journey we enjoy sharing with the residents as they watch construction activities with great interest.”
– Greg Freeman
CEO/Vice-President Crown Ridge Health Care Services Inc.
SOURCE Province of Ontario
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