New long-term-care home in T.O. announced by Ford
In the wake of a pandemic that has tragically exposed deficiencies in Ontario nursing homes, Premier Doug Ford is trying to fast-track construction of new long-term-care facilities.
On Tuesday, Ford unveiled the latest project at Humber River Hospital on Finch Ave. W., where a facility with up to 320 beds is to be built by the end of next year. Mayor John Tory was on hand for the announcement, and praised the provincial government for moving at “wartime speed” to build new long-termcare beds.
Almost two-thirds of Ontario’s more than 2,800 COVID-19 deaths have been at long-term-care homes, underscoring the need for modern, safe buildings.
To that end, the province last month launched a new “accelerated build” scheme using modular construction techniques and “rapid procurement” to expedite new facilities. In July, the government promised two homes with up to 640 beds will be built in Mississauga, while another will be constructed in Ajax with as many as 320 beds. They will all have private or semi-private rooms to curb the spread of viruses. In some existing homes, there were four seniors were packed into one room with often devastating results.
“After years of underinvestment in long-term care, we are getting shovels in the ground faster and delivering on our commitment to build 30,000 long-term-care beds over the next decade,” said Ford.
But NDP MPP Teresa Armstrong (London-Fanshawe) said the province has added just 34 beds in the two years since Ford’s Progressive Conservatives toppled the previous Liberal government.
“We need to fundamentally change long-term care, not just make announcements about more beds in a broken system,” said Armstrong. “Long-term care is badly understaffed, underregulated and the government no longer inspects facilities regularly.
“As a result, thousands of seniors are neglected, and their emotional well-being and health and safety are at risk. The inhumanity has been getting worse for years and years, while government after government glosses over the problem by announcing new beds they never even build.”