May 23, 2007

Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman announced the new long-term care beds along with Leona and Tweed’s reeve Jo-Anne Albert.

McGuinty government increases access to long-term care beds for South Hastings residents
128 new long-term care beds to be developed by AON Inc.

TWEED — The McGuinty government is awarding a total of 128 new long-term care home beds in Tweed to AON Inc. to increase access to quality long-term care health services, Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced today.

“Our government is working hard to meet the needs of communities that are experiencing long-term care pressures,” said Smitherman. “These new beds, awarded in Tweed, mean residents will have access to a higher quality of life in a new, home-like environment.” 

Construction is scheduled to begin as early as September 2007 and be completed as early as December 2008.

“We are committed to providing access to quality health care for the residents of South Hastings,” said Leona Dombrowsky, MPP for Hastings, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington. “This investment in new long-term care beds will strengthen our health care system and our community.”

“We are delighted the government is moving forward with this new investment to enrich our community and make life easier for residents,” said Georgina Thompson, Chair of the South East Local Health Integration Network.

This is just one more example of how, working together, Ontarians have achieved results in improving the quality of life for long-term care residents. Other initiatives include:

• Adding 1,750 new beds and replacing 662 beds in the following communities: South Niagara, South Simcoe, Guelph, London, Windsor, Hastings, Kingston, Ottawa, Sudbury and Thunder Bay
  
• Putting 4,912 new long-term care beds into operation since April 2004
  Funding long-term care homes to hire almost 4,900 new direct care staff, including 1,101 nurses since 2004
  
• Announcing an investment of $57.7 million in annual funding to create 1,200 additional positions for Registered Practical Nurses in long-term care homes across the province.
  

Today’s initiative is part of the McGuinty government’s plan for innovation in public health care, building a system that delivers on three priorities – keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing better access to doctors and nurses.