Today, Mayor John Tory was joined by Councillor Cynthia Lai (Scarborough North) and Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre) to announce a new City of Toronto long-term care (LTC) home to be built in Scarborough at 4610 Finch Ave. E.
This new LTC home, to be opened in 2026, will deliver more beds, meet new provincial design standards for LTC homes and help improve services for residents in the area. Opportunities for co-location on the site are being explored and may include an adult day program, community hub or paramedic post.
Depending on the configuration, this new LTC home will house between 336 and 365 residents, helping to reduce wait times and address the needs of Toronto seniors who need access to long-term care.
The new home will allow residents from existing City-operated LTC homes and others on wait lists for care to relocate to the new and expanded location, on land which was identified by CreateTO, in partnership with the City’s Seniors Services and Long-Term Care (SSLTC) division.
Work has already started on the procurement process for the project design, to commence in 2022. A detailed transition plan will be developed and implemented when the time comes to move residents to the new location. Residents will continue to receive care in their current LTC home until the new building is ready.
This redevelopment project aligns with the City’s commitment and ongoing work to provide high-quality care to LTC residents now and in future. More information about the City’s Long-Term Care Homes & Services Capital Renewal Plan is available on the About City-Operated Long-Term Care Homes webpage.
While the City has committed $175 million through its capital budget towards this project, partnerships with the other levels of government are critical to addressing the demand for more support and services for seniors. Recently, the provincial Ministry of Long-Term Care also announced the City’s Bendale Acres LTC home in Scarborough will receive $1.5 million in Behavioural Specialized Unit pilot funding to provide accommodation, care, services, programs and goods for residents with heightened responsive behaviours that are not able to be safely and effectively managed within other LTC home resident areas.
In total, the City has five LTC homes planned for redevelopment – Carefree Lodge, Castleview Wychwood Towers, Fudger House, Lakeshore Lodge and Seven Oaks – and will upgrade 1,232 existing beds while also adding 978 new beds into the City’s directly-operated LTC bed inventory.
Quotes:
“Long-Term Care Homes have provided a vital support system for Toronto’s aging population. As we continue to see growth in our seniors population, we need to ensure that as a city we are expanding and evolving the support and services we offer. I look forward to seeing this new home that will allow us to accommodate even more residents and provide the necessary care vulnerable residents in our city need.”
– Mayor John Tory
“This is fantastic news for the residents in Scarborough North. When the Carefree Lodge redevelopment is complete, they will have access to a City long-term care home in their area allowing family and friends to remain close by as their loved ones transition into a long-term care home.”
– Councillor Cynthia Lai (Scarborough North)
“Ensuring the residents have the right to live and age in place is a priority in Toronto. I would like to thank all the staff working hard behind the scenes to make this development possible.”
– Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre), Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee
“Following an extensive review of the City’s real estate portfolio, and working with our partners in the City’s Seniors Services and Long-Term Care division, CreateTO identified and recommended the site at 4610 Finch Avenue East to enable the delivery of much-needed long-term care beds in Scarborough. This process also serves as a model for city building and will facilitate the co-location of multiple City services on this City-owned site.”
– Vic Gupta, CEO, CreateTO
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