Long-term care homes in Thunder Bay, Ont., say flexible funding is key to improving services

Long-term care homes in Thunder Bay, Ont., are celebrating recent upgrades at their facilities supported by provincial funding.

Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland visited Southbridge Pinewood on Tuesday to talk about the province's local priorities fund, which distributed more than $2 million to the following long-term care homes in the city in the 2023-24 year:

The fund, which was first launched two years ago, was created to help long-term care (LTC) homes buy specialized equipment and provide training to staff members to meet residents' unique needs.

"Being able to provide some of the care that typically would require patients to travel to the hospital — being able to provide that in the homes where they're living is better for the patient, better for the health-care providers and for the system in general," said Holland.

Some of the improvements include new bathing equipment, beds, lifts, plate warmers, heated/cooled food transportation carts, and additional training and care for people with dementia.

"It's a funding pot that is flexible, that allows homes to designate the funds to areas that they and their residents and families see as most important priorities," said Andrea Docherty, vice president of clinical community health for St. Joseph's Care Group.

"The resident population that's in each home really has different needs and interests, and so to be able to hear from them and what's important is really, really valuable."

Holland shared that he has personal experience with the long-term care system, having been the power of attorney for a family member who was in an assisted living facility in Thunder Bay.

"Having gone through that experience with my family member, I know that the funds that we are earmarking to go to the homes for enhanced level of service is going to go directly to patient care," he said.

Last week, Holland was named the new parliamentary assistant (PA) to the minister of long-term care, in addition to his existing role as PA to the minister of mines.

"It'll be an enhanced level of connection, and working with the care providers here to ensure that northern Ontario communities' voices [are] heard and represented when we're making the decisions in that ministry," he said of the position.

A report released earlier this year by two economics professors at McMaster University suggests that Ontario's population of seniors could jump 23 per cent in the next five years.

William Kunka, regional director for Southbridge Care Homes, said the rising number of seniors in the coming years highlights the importance of being able "to accommodate the residents better, provide comfort, dignity and allow them to remain close [to] their family and loved ones."

Kunka said in the next round of upgrades, he'd like to see more aging equipment replaced, and more improvements to the response and behaviour programs for residents with dementia.