Local long-term care homes are sharing some $7.1 million in provincial funding announced last week to help with staffing shortages.
The money is directed at the province’s commitment that residents of such homes receive an average of four hours of direct care each day by 2025. With that goal, Barnswallow Place Care Community in Elmira will receive up to $837,252 for additional staffing this year, while Chartwell Elmira Long Term Care Residence, will receive up to $313,968 to increase the hours of direct care for residents.
Twin Oaks of Maryhill Inc. will receive up to $200,592, while that figure is $845,976 for Nithview Home in New Hamburg.
In St. Jacobs, Derbecker’s Heritage House will receive up to $627,936 for additional staffing, but also received bed allocations for 56 new places as well as 72 upgraded beds as part of a new construction project approved by the province.
The funding was announced April 8 by Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris.
“These new and redeveloped beds and increased funding for staffing allocations will allow homes in our community to hire and retain more staff,” he said in a statement.
Overall, the province 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.
Seniors entering long-term care today are older and have more complex medical needs than they did just a decade ago. The level of care residents need has increased dramatically, but the amount of care they receive each day has not, the province says of the impetus for the new funding.
The increased financial support was welcome news for operators of long-term care facilities.
“We’ve already been able to increase our staffing. We’ve added staff in every area, so it really does have a positive impact on our residents,” said Catherine Schalk, executive director of Barnswallow Place, of the funding provided to the Elmira facility.
The sector already had staffing problems prior to the pandemic, and the situation only got worse during the COVID-19 crisis. The new funding will help get long-term care homes back on a better footing, she added.
“We are very pleased to receive this funding from the province as well as the allocation of new and upgraded beds for Elmira Long Term Care Residence. Addressing the need to increase staffing and hours of direct care for residents is an important step to enhancing long term care right across the province. Seniors deserve the highest quality of care, and we extend our thanks to the Ontario Government for its support and service to seniors,” said Sharon Ranalli, Chartwell vice-president of marketing and communications, in an email. Provincial funding provided for 176 new and 48 redeveloping beds at the facility.
In this fiscal year, the province has allocated $200 million to train up to 16,200 additional personal support workers through publicly-assisted colleges, private career colleges and district school boards.
Locally, Schalk noted Barnswallow Place has a relationship with Conestoga College whereby students do internships at the Elmira location.
“We have had very good success with Conestoga College, providing hours for students. Then usually we’re able to hire them once they finish their program,” she explained.
