Ontario boosts long-term care with nurse teams, major investment

Friday, March 15, 2024

The Ontario government is enhancing the connection of long-term care residents to healthcare services directly within their residences, reducing the need for non-essential emergency department visits. This is achieved by broadening the reach of the nurse-led outreach team initiative throughout the province, including a new team in London. This London team will aid roughly 3,500 residents in 24 long-term care facilities. Comprising nurse practitioners and registered nurses with specialized skills, the team offers both in-person and remote consultation and care services, ensuring residents receive healthcare without leaving their facilities. Additionally, these teams collaborate closely with emergency departments and long-term care homes to provide swift and efficient diagnostic services.

“We’re fixing long-term care so residents get the right care in the right place,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Our targeted investments in specialized staffing mean more residents in the London area can be cared for in the comfort of their homes.”

To further extend this initiative, the government is allocating over $500,000 to introduce seven more nurse-led outreach teams in northern and western Ontario. This expansion will bring healthcare services closer to over 9,900 residents in 76 additional long-term care homes, adding to the 28 teams already operational province-wide, serving the majority of long-term care residents.

In a broader effort to improve long-term care, the Ontario government is investing in the sector to ensure seniors receive the care and quality of life they deserve. The comprehensive plan is founded on four main principles: enhancing staffing and care levels, improving quality and regulatory enforcement, constructing modern and comfortable homes, and providing seniors with quicker access to needed services.

“As the regional leader of geriatric care through the Regional Geriatric Program of Southwestern Ontario, St. Joseph’s is pleased and well-positioned to pilot the introduction of the Nurse Led Outreach Team (NLOT) in our region. St. Joseph’s has long been committed to service delivery rooted in robust co-design, collaboration and partnership, which is essential for tangible and lasting change in health care. This approach will be central to the NLOT initiative as we work to build capacity for medical care of residents in long-term care homes and reduce the need for residents to require care in an emergency department.”

“This is a great investment that will benefit London in an important and much-needed way. Giving people the care they need, where they need it will alleviate some of the demand on hospitals and will improve the quality of care for our long-term care residents.”

• Rob Flack
  MPP for Elgin-Middlesex-London

Additional investments include $5.5 million for the creation of three new Behavioural Specialized Units (BSUs) in long-term care homes located in Brampton, Etobicoke, and Timmins, and increased funding for the existing 21 specialized units. The government is also directing an extra $15 million this year to the Local Priorities Fund, totaling $35 million for 2023-24, aimed at supporting long-term care residents with complex needs such as dementia and those requiring bariatric care. Furthermore, Ontario is incentivizing students and recent graduates from personal support worker programs with up to $25,400 to encourage careers in long-term care and community care sectors. Another significant investment of up to $4.9 billion will create thousands of new jobs for personal support workers and nurses in long-term care. Part of the government’s plan to reform long-term care and mitigate waitlists involves the construction of 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds across Ontario by 2028.

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