Executive Council
Health and Community Services
April 28, 2015
Supporting Health and Well-Being
Provincial Government Announces Plan for Expansion of Long-Term Care Beds
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will provide a total of 360 new long-term care beds on the island portion of the province. Through engagement with private and non-profit providers, long-term care facilities will be built in the western and central regions and on the Northeast Avalon. This innovative approach will ensure the availability of high-quality long-term care services for an aging population and further advances the work outlined in Close to Home: A Strategy for Long-Term Care and Community Support Services.
"Providing individuals with the high-quality long-term care they need remains one of our highest priorities. Despite current economic challenges, the importance of continuing to address the growing demand for long-term care must remain a top concern. The private and non-profit sectors in our province already play prominent roles in providing care to seniors through home support agencies and personal care homes, yet only a fraction of publicly-funded long-term care beds are provided by the private sector. Looking to other provinces, we can see the potential benefits of this concept as part of our health care system, in providing high-quality care at a lower cost."
- The Honourable Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
The new facilities will be built in four locations: Corner Brook, Grand Falls-Windsor area, Gander area, and on the Northeast Avalon. The Corner Brook facility will be built on the site that has been prepared for the new Corner Brook Hospital as part of the previously announced hospital complex model. The new facilities will be constructed, owned and operated privately and will be fully integrated into the existing long-term care system with operators being required to meet provincial long-term care standards.
"The 360 new long-term care beds will make a real difference to individuals and their families as wait times both for long-term care and acute-care services improve with expanded access to publicly funded long-term care beds. Our province is facing an increase in demand for long-term care and community support services as the population ages and the prevalence of chronic disease and disability increases. We must find innovative ways to meet emerging needs while ensuring the continued sustainability of our health care system."
- The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services
In the coming weeks, the Provincial Government will engage in a competitive selection process to identify high-quality and experienced providers with an interest in building and operating these new facilities. This will happen with the assistance of Partnerships BC, a Crown corporation in the Province of British Columbia, with extensive experience in acquiring high-quality, reputable care providers for long-term care through a competitive process.
QUICK FACTS
- The Provincial Government will provide a total of 360 new, publicly-funded long-term care beds at new facilities to be constructed across the island portion of the province.
- Through engagement with private and non-profit providers, new facilities will be built in Corner Brook, Grand Falls-Windsor area, Gander area, and on the Northeast Avalon.
- The new facilities will be constructed, owned and operated privately and will be required to meet provincial long-term care standards.
- Since 2008 the Provincial Government has built five new long-term care facilities across the province, from Happy Valley-Goose Bay to St. John's, as well as protective community residences in Corner Brook, Lewisporte and Bonavista.
- Since 2004, the Provincial Government has invested approximately $1.4 billion in health care infrastructure, including repairs and renovations to existing facilities and for new equipment.
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Media contacts:
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Heather MacLean
Director of Communications Office of the Premier 709-729-3581 heathermaclean@gov.nl.ca |
Donna Ivey
Special Assistant, Communications Office of the Premier 709-729-3551 donnaivey@gov.nl.ca |
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John Tompkins
Director of Communications Department of Health and Community Services 709-729-1377, 728-7762 jtompkins@gov.nl.ca |
2015 04 28 10:30 a.m.