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TORONTO \u2014 Ontario has built nearly 6,700 long-term care beds with another 18,000 beds in the pipeline, a far cry from the province\u2019s goal to add 58,000 new or upgraded beds by 2028.<\/p>\n
The new data is contained in the province\u2019s fall economic statement that Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy tabled at Queen\u2019s Park Thursday.<\/p>\n
The province launched an ambitious plan in 2021 to modernize long-term care.<\/p>\n
That came in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that killed thousands of people in nursing homes.<\/p>\n
The province says 44 long-term care homes have been built, with another 104 either under construction or approved.<\/p>\n
Long-Term Care Minister Natalia Kusendova-Bashta did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the latest data.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The province recently launched a new capital funding program to stimulate construction of more nursing homes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An industry association that represents non-profit long-term care homes says the new program is a \u201cgame changer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lisa Levin, CEO of AdvantAge Ontario, commended the government and said the program has already spurred a number of the organization\u2019s members to begin building new nursing homes.<\/p>\n
The province previously offered similar programs, though they were limited to six-month application windows, which proved difficult for many organizations to complete in time, Levin said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The province has now made that program permanent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s amazing because it gives more confidence to the sector that they can go ahead and move forward,\u201d Levin said. \u201cSecondly, there\u2019s a lot more money that\u2019s being offered.\u201d<\/p>\n
Levin believes this will help spur the construction of significantly more homes.<\/p>\n
\u00a92025 The Canadian Press<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n