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

The Ontario government says it is investing $438,728 in six projects in Windsor and Essex County long-term care homes 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.

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

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 an emergency room or be admitted to hospital. Others will support the admission of people into long-term care homes who no longer require acute care in hospital, but who have complex needs that are difficult to accommodate without specialized services and supports.

“The long-term care investments being announced today by the Ontario Government will enhance seniors’ quality of life throughout Windsor and Tecumseh. We are committed to working with each of our health and long-term care partners to implement the right local solutions, ensuring that our seniors will get the care that they need right where they live.”

Andrew Dowie MPP for Windsor—Tecumseh

The six Windsor and Essex County projects are:

• $199,065 for one project at The Village of Aspen Lake in Tecumseh to purchase bariatric equipment, diagnostic equipment and specialized equipment for wound care, in order to improve resident care, prevent hospital visits and admissions, and enable the admission of Alternate Level of Care (ALC) hospital patients into the home;
• $199,065 for one project at The Village at St. Clair in Windsor to purchase bariatric equipment, diagnostic equipment and specialized equipment for wound care, in order to improve resident care, prevent hospital visits and admissions, and enable the admission of ALC hospital patients into the home;
• $22,250 for two projects at Extendicare Southwood Lakes in Windsor to purchase diagnostic equipment and pressure relieving mattresses, in order to improve resident care, prevent infections, reduce emergency department visits and support the admission of residents with specialized care needs; and
• $18,348 for two projects at Brouillette Manor in Tecumseh to purchase diagnostic equipment, in order to improve patient care and reduce emergency department visits.

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 says it 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 and Mississauga.
• 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.
• Through a $6.4 billion investment, Ontario now has over 30,000 new and 28,000 upgraded beds in development across the province. This will help increase overall bed capacity, address long-term care waitlists and hallway health care, and provide our seniors the care they deserve.
• The Ontario government is providing up to $1.25 billion this year to long-term care homes to hire and retain thousands more long-term care staff. This is part of the government’s historic four-year, $4.9 billion commitment to increase the provincewide average direct care time provided to residents to four hours per day by March 31, 2025.