peopleCare awarded 192 new LTC beds in Cambridge
WATERLOO, Ontario, Dec 9, 2021 – peopleCare Communities is delighted to share that the Ministry of Long-Term Care has awarded the organization 192 new long-term care beds in the growing city of Cambridge, Ontario. These new beds will make it possible for more seniors to remain in the community they know and love, while receiving the quality care and services they need and deserve.
The announcement was made by the Honourable Rod Phillips, Minister of Long-Term Care, as part of the Ontario government’s ongoing commitment to modernize the long-term care system, in part by building 10,000 net new spaces and upgrading 12,000 existing spaces.
“Our government has a plan to fix long-term care and a key part of that plan is building modern, safe, and comfortable homes for our seniors,” said Rod Phillips, Minister of Long-Term Care. “When completed, this new long-term care home in the Region of Waterloo will provide a safe, modern, comfortable place for residents to call home, near their family and friends.”
“This is wonderful news and we would like to sincerely thank Minister Phillips and the government for their continued support and investment to bring much-needed new long-term care beds into our communities,” says Brent Gingerich, Chairman and CEO, peopleCare. “This government has continued to demonstrate its commitment to building long-term care capacity in communities across Ontario and peopleCare looks forward to doing our part to help provide better and faster access to care and services for seniors in Cambridge.”
About the announcement, Mike Harris, MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga shared, “The seniors of Waterloo Region, both rural and urban, expect and deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing that when the time comes, their long-term care needs will be met. The addition of 364 new and 84 upgraded long-term care beds, including a brand new home in Cambridge, will provide seniors in our communities with the care that they need for generations to come.”
peopleCare’s new Cambridge Home will be part of a planned campus of care development that will eventually include a range of services and housing options for older adults, including attainable seniors housing and retirement living.
“Along with building a long-term care home that supports better care outcomes and enhanced experiences for residents and their families, our vision is for a campus that enables seniors to live and age well,” says peopleCare President Megan Allen-Lamb. “We look forward to engaging with our key community partners, such as Cambridge Memorial Hospital and others, to identify needs and opportunities for innovative collaborations that benefit local seniors, including underserved and marginalized populations.”
These new 192 long-term care beds will help increase care capacity in the area of Cambridge-North Dumfries, where the 75+ senior population will almost double by 2030. As a long-standing member of the Cambridge community, peopleCare is excited to continue partnering with the City of Cambridge, Waterloo Region and other stakeholders to manage the intense growth of the aging population, reduce pressures on the local health system, and ensure the necessary seniors services are in place now and in the future.
When it opens, the new 192-bed long-term care home will also create new jobs as more staff will be needed to provide care to the additional residents. We will continue to work hard to ensure our engaged employees are supported in delivering exceptional care and services in the new Home.
peopleCare’s innovation focus will also support better care outcomes, and enhanced experiences for residents and their families. For example, residents will benefit from our award-winning, innovative Clinical Pharmacy Model, a pharmacy-led medication reconciliation approach that improves resident safety and was the endorsed model cited in the 2019 LTC Public Inquiry recommendations. One of peopleCare’s Homes was recently named one of 10 ISMP Champion LTC homes supporting the government’s Strengthening Medication Safety in LTC Initiative. We will also design our new home with IPAC innovation top-of-mind, and work with local hospice providers to enhance our approach to resident-centred palliative care.
Minister of LTC Rod Phillips, Mayor of Cambridge Kathryn McGarry, and peopleCare CEO Brent Gingerich, residents, staff and family caregiver celebrate together.
peopleCare Communities is a Canadian, family owned and mission-driven leading operator of senior living communities, with strong values and a 50-year history of service. We are committed to engagement and collaboration to create vibrant communities of care that deliver meaningful experiences, clinical best practices, engaging programs and integrated services that meet seniors’ changing needs. peopleCare’s innovation and leadership has earned Accreditation Canada Exemplary Status, Canada’s Best Managed Companies Platinum designation, and the single largest research grant from the Ontario Centres of Excellence, which funded our award-winning Clinical Pharmacy Model, a first-of-its-kind for long-term care in Canada. Our vision is to Change the World of Senior Living.
For more information: Sheena Campbell, Vice President, Communications and Engagement, scampbell@peoplecare.ca
Banner image: Harold Stiver/Shutterstock.com
