Provincial Government Invests Nearly $450,000 Into Peterborough-Kawartha Long-Term Care Homes

The Ontario Government has invested $444,135 to four local long-term care homes in Peterborough-Kawartha area as part of the Local Priorities Fund, announced at Fairhaven Long-Term Care Home on Friday morning.

The Local Priorities Fund is part of a broader investment of over $120 million in 2022-23 and complements the recently launched Equipment and Training Fund. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The following homes are receiving the investment:

• Extendicare Lakefield: $5,950

• Extendicare Peterborough: $37,321

• Fairhaven Long Term Care: $261,059

• St. Joseph’s at Fleming: $139,805

“The Ontario government’s investment will enhance the services we provide to our resident’s care needs,” said to Nancy Rooney, Fairhave executive director. “The Local Priority Fund allows our residents to have the care required without overburdening our hospitals.”

The funding will help long-term care homes be supplied with items such as IV equipment, bariatrics equipment bed support, bladder scanners, and ECGs. It also goes towards everyday items like slip-proof floor mats, wrap around bed rails, and grab bars according Rooney.

This funding covers costs for specialized staffing, equipment and services for new or increasingly complex medical or specialized equipment needs which cannot currently be accommodated in our home,” she said. “This Fund has made a significant impact to our organization. We greatly appreciate the provincial support in funding different initiative such as the Local Priorities Fund.”

“This investment, tailored to the needs of our community will provide long-term care residents right here in Peterborough-Kawartha with specialized supports and services they need,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP.

The Local Priorities Fund was launched in 2022. Since then, roughly $20 million was invested in 2022-23 to help long-term care homes purchase specialized equipment and train staff to provide more specialized care according to a press release. It continues to state that the funding allows homes to welcome residents who have complex needs but no longer require acute care in hospital.

Any current residents who have new or increasingly complex medical or specialized equipment needs which could not be previously accommodated in their long-term care home can be treated on-site rather than unnecessary hospital admissions.

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Ontario Government Invests Over $470,000 For Administered Care Within Long-Term Care Homes

The Ontario Government has invested $471,728 in two projects in Peterborough-Kawartha to aid seniors with complex medical needs at their long-term care home instead of a hospital, announced on Friday afternoon.

(From left to right) MPP Dave Smith; Nancy Rooney, Fairhaven Executive Director; Tia Nguyen, Fairhaven Vice President and Laura White, Fairhave resident. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Examples of long-term care include seniors with dementia and bariatric care.

The funding is part of a $20 million investment this year in 189 projects province-wide through a new Local Priorities Fund operated by Ontario Health.

The projects funded are as follows:

• $30,000 to St. Joseph’s at Fleming for the purchase of bariatric equipment to support long-term care home transition;

• $441,728 to Fairhaven for the purchase of bariatric equipment, minor renovations, and specialized staffing and training to support complex resident care needs while reducing unnecessary hospitalization.

“This investment, tailored to the needs of our community, will provide long-term care residents right here in Peterborough-Kawartha with the specialized supports and services they need,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP.

These projects help residents get care in their long-term care home without having to go to the emergency room or be admitted to the hospital.

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

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Fairhaven Long-Term Care Receives Over $2 Million to Hire 44 New Staff

Fairhaven Long-Term Care Home is receiving up to $2,232,672 to hire 44 additional staff this year to increase the hours of direct care for residents announced on Friday.

(left to right) Lionel Towns, Fairhaven executive director; Coun. Keith Riel; MPP Dave Smith and Coun. Karl Moher in front of Fairhaven Homes on 881 Dutton Rd. In 2021-22, Ontario invested $200 million to train up to 16,200 additional personal support workers through publicly-assisted colleges, private career colleges and district school boards. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Fairhaven is part of the $7,212,576 investment from the Ontario Government for long-term care homes in Peterborough-Kawartha.

The Dutton Road long-term care home can hire 25 full-time and 19 part-time positions. The funding will boost benefit packages for both full-time and part-time employees.

“Our region has one of the highest seniors populations in Canada and the demand for long-term care in our region will continue to grow,” said Coun. Karl Moher. “It is our jobs as representatives to ensure that our residents receive the additional care and support that this funding will provide for.”

These funds will increase care for residents at other long-term care homes such as:

• Extendicare Inc., in Lakefield, will receive up to $872,136 for additional staffing this year to increase the hours of direct care for residents.

• Extendicare Inc, in Peterborough, will receive up to $1,517,520 for additional staffing this year to increase the hours of direct care for residents.

• Riverview Manor Nursing Home, in Peterborough, will receive up to $845,976 for additional staffing this year to increase the hours of direct care for residents.

• St. Joseph’s at Fleming, in Peterborough, will receive up to $1,744,272 for additional staffing this year to increase the hours of direct care for residents.

“Our seniors deserve the best care possible. Full stop. This $7.2 million investment takes us one step further in delivering the care loved ones in our community rightfully expect,” said MPP Dave Smith. “We have made significant progress towards fixing the broken system we inherited just a few short years ago.”

Over the span of four years, the funding will increase direct hours of care by 1 hour and 21 minutes for seniors according to the Ontario Government.

The government is investing $4.9 billion over four years to boost direct resident care to an average of four hours daily by increasing care staff by more than 27,000 people.

Hiring thousands of new staff at long-term homes and increasing the amount of care they deliver each year will be made possible by annual funding increases to homes:

•  $270 million in 2021-22

•  $673 million in 2022-23

•  $1.25 billion in 2023-24

•  $1.82 billion in 2024-25

Fairhaven is seeking applications for new employees as a result of the funding announcement.

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106 Year Old Elizabeth Campbell First To Receive COVID-19 Vaccine In Peterborough

Fairhaven Long-Term Care Home (LTCH) was the first facility to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in the Peterborough region.

Elizabeth Campbell, aged 106, a resident at Fairhaven LTCH, received the first dose on Tuesday afternoon (January 26th) from Lori Rowsell, Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner at Fairhaven.

“This is an exciting day for Peterborough,” says Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Rosana Salvaterra. “Immunizing long-term care home residents with the COVID- 19 vaccine is the first step to seeing our vulnerable populations protected against COVID-19.”

Lori Rowsell administering Moderna vaccine to Elizabeth Campbell (photo courtesy Peterborough Public health)

The Ministry of Health prioritized LTCHs as the first setting to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario. All public health units are required to vaccinate LTCH residents with their first dose by February 5th.

Depending on vaccine supply coming into the region, Peterborough Public Health will be vaccinating the entire population of LTCH residents (approximately 1,100 individuals) in the coming two weeks.

The Peterborough Interagency COVID-19 Vaccine Planning Team is working to determine the next population in Peterborough to receive the vaccine. This will depend on a number of criteria including provincial guidelines, COVID-19 risk for each population, and supply of the vaccine locally.

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