Long-term care homes receive upgrades thanks to provincial funding

THUNDER BAY — Select long-term care homes in Thunder Bay have upgraded equipment and training after receiving provincial funding. 

Of the over $2 million that the province handed out to five long-term care homes in the city, St. Joseph's Care Group received the most at $862,000, and Southbridge Pinewood, Lakehead, and Roseview received between $200,000 and more than $500,000. 

Andrea Docherty, vice-president of clinical and community care at St. Joseph's Care Group, was grateful to upgrade their equipment for residents. 

"We were able this time around to purchase meal warmers, carts that help us serve our meals, plate warmers. Meals are really, really important to long-term care.

"This is just an ability to enhance the way we bring the food from the largest industrial kitchen in the city. So you can imagine serving that large number of meals three times a day, plus all of the snacks. We really want to make sure that the experiences for our residents are top-notch."

The funding was also used to train staff on more ways to handle patients with dementia to enhance the care staff provide. 

William Kunka, regional director of Southbridge Health Care, said the equipment they've been able to replace has been needed for a long time. 

"We replaced about a third of our operational beds, which are adjustable for both longer and bariatric-type residents as need be. 

"We also replaced a large majority of our mechanical lifts that we used to help people with mobility needs.

"It's made an exceptional difference being able to update 20-plus-year-old bathing equipment and brand new lifts. To increase the comfort of our residents also allows us to accommodate taller residents and bariatric-type residents as well."

Kevin Holland, member of provincial parliament for Thunder Bay — Atikokan, explained why the funding was announced after the facilities had spent the money. 

"We're announcing funding that they received last year because we do it this way so that they can utilize the funds as they see fit and make the announcements after the year is over. It's a yearly type of funding for this program."

The funding comes from the Local Priorities Fund, launched by the province in 2022.