Thursday, March 14, 2024
Ontario Creating New Nurse-Led Outreach Team in London
Province helping more long-term care residents connect to convenient care
The Ontario government is helping long-term care residents connect to care in the comfort of their home and avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency department by expanding the nurse-led outreach team model across Ontario, including one in London.
“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.”
The new nurse-led outreach team in London will support approximately 3,500 residents across 24 long-term care homes in the area. The team consists of specialized nurse practitioners and registered nurses who provide residents convenient access to in-person and virtual consultations and care in the comfort of their long-term care home. They also work in partnership with emergency departments and long-term care homes to coordinate timely and rapid diagnostic services for residents, as part of the broad care provided to homes.
The government is investing more than $500,000 to expand seven nurse-led outreach teams in northern and western Ontario to connect over 9,900 residents in 76 additional long-term care homes to more convenient care. This builds on the 28 teams that are already in place across the province that provide care to more than two thirds of residents in long-term care homes.
The government is fixing long-term care to ensure Ontario’s seniors get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve. The plan is built on four pillars: staffing and care; quality and enforcement; building modern, safe and comfortable homes; and connecting seniors with faster, more convenient access to the services they need.
Quick Facts:
- Ontario is investing $5.5 million to create three new Behavioural Specialized Units (BSUs) at long-term care homes in Brampton, Etobicoke, and Timmins, as well as increasing funding to all 21 specialized units across the province.
- The Ontario government is investing an additional $15 million this year through the Local Priorities Fund for a total of $35 million in 2023-24, to help long-term care homes support residents with complex needs like dementia and bariatric care.
- Ontario is offering incentives of up to $25,400 to students and recent graduates of personal support worker education programs to launch careers in long-term care homes and in the home and community care sector.
- The Ontario government is investing up to $4.9 billion to create thousands of new positions for personal support workers and nurses in long-term care.
- As part of its plan to fix long-term care and address sector waitlists, the government is building 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds in Ontario by 2028.
Quotes:
"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."
— Sandy Jansen, Vice President Patient Care and Risk Management, St. Joseph’s Health Care London
"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 Resources:
Media Contacts:
Daniel Strauss
Office of the Minister of Long-Term Care
Daniel.Strauss@ontario.ca
Ministry of Long-Term Care Media Line
Communications Branch
mltc.media@ontario.ca
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