HALIFAX: The Rankin government announced July 9, it’s s investing $96.5 million in new long-term care beds and facilities to better serve residents, their families and staff who care for residents in long-term care.
As part of a multi-year plan, the province will add 264 new beds in Central Zone and replace 1,298 beds at 14 nursing homes and three residential care facilities across the province.
The first project is expected to be completed by 2026-27.
“Nova Scotians living in long-term care deserve to have safe, comfortable facilities in their communities and this investment will help,” said Premier Iain Rankin. “These are more than bricks and mortar facilities – they are people’s homes and we respect that. This support will help rejuvenate the sector, ensuring our loved ones are well cared for today and into the future.”
The initial $96.5 million capital investment includes:
— $64.8 million to replace, repair or renovate 17 facilities
— $29.9 million to add 264 new beds in Central Zone to reduce wait times to two months
— $615,000 to procure bed vacancy management and infrastructure management systems
— $405,000 to assess facilities that are more than 25 years old
— $792,000 to hire nine permanent full-time employees to oversee and support the projects
Facilities will be built, repaired or renovated according to space and design standards that put the needs of residents first, with private bedrooms and washrooms, and more focus on infection prevention and control.
They will also include workplace safety elements like ceiling lifts to ensure staff are supported to safely provide the best quality care.
The 17 facilities identified for renovation or replacement based on their overall condition and best practices in infection prevention and control are:
— Harbourview Haven, Lunenburg
— Wolfville Nursing Home, Wolfville
— Hillsview Acres Home for Special Care, Greenfield, Queens Co.
— Queens Manor, Liverpool
— Dykeland Lodge, Windsor
— Gables Lodge, Amherst
— Melville Lodge, Halifax
— Glen Haven Manor, New Glasgow
— MacLeod Victoria Haven Nursing Home, Glace Bay
— RK MacDonald Nursing Home, Antigonish
— Valley View Villa, Stellarton
— Carefield Manor Residential Care Facility, Sydney
— Dominion Community Guest Home, Dominion, Cape Breton Regional Municipality
— Highland Manor, Neils Harbour, Victoria Co.
— St. Anne Community & Nursing Care Centre, Arichat, Richmond Co.
— Roseway Nursing Home, Shelburne
— Maple Hill Manor, New Waterford
Quotes:
“New and renovated care facilities are critical to enabling improved safety for residents and provision of quality care by health-care workers. Today’s announcement is a generational investment by government responding to lessons learned from the pandemic. New facilities, designed with private rooms and improved infection control practices, will be safer for our residents here at Victoria Haven.”
– Ramsay Duff, chief executive officer, MacLeod Group Health Services
“Years of anticipation culminated today with the announcement of a much-needed replacement facility for our 45-year-old Roseway Manor. A new, modern home will provide great benefits for all who live and work at here. Our communities are celebrating with us, knowing their loved ones can now live and be cared for with dignity and respect in a beautiful, inviting, modern home.”
– Nancy Jones, administrator, Roseway Manor
Quick Facts:
— there are 133 licensed long-term care facilities in Nova Scotia; 90 nursing homes and 43 residential care facilities
— in January, government announced 236 new long-term care beds, the replacement or renovation of seven long-term care facilities, and an increase to the annual budget for capital repairs and equipment upgrades available to all long-term care facilities
— in 2019-20, the province announced 197 new nursing home beds for: New Waterford (36), North Sydney (38), Eskasoni (48), Meteghan (10), Mahone Bay (35) and Halifax (30)
Additional Resources:
More information about long-term care in Nova Scotia: https://novascotia.ca/dhw/ccs/long-term-care.asp
