McGuinty Government Awards 96 Long-Term Care Beds In Waterloo Region

Waterloo Region - On May 1, 2009 Kitchener MPP’s John Milloy and Leeanna Pendergast welcomed news that 96 new long-term care beds are coming to Waterloo Region.

The McGuinty government has awarded the construction of a new 96-bed long-term care home to peopleCare in Cambridge.

Last December, Extendicare (Canada Inc.) informed the government that it would not be pursuing the development of a 192-bed long-term care home in Guelph it had been awarded in 2007. The government has re-allocated 96 beds to Oakwood Retirement Communities in Guelph and awarded 96 beds to peopleCare in Cambridge to meet the growing need for beds in these communities.

It’s expected that the new homes will be completed by May 2012.

“Our government is committed to ensuring our seniors have access to the health services they need, at all levels of care,” said John Milloy, MPP Kitchener Centre. “This is great news for our region and especially for patients and their families in Cambridge.”

"The Government of Ontario is always working to ensure that the health care of seniors in Ontario is among the best in the world." said Leeanna Pendergast, MPP for Kitchener- Conestoga. "The addition of 96 long-term beds in the Region will help seniors obtain the quality of care and support they deserve."

"We are pleased to know that the distribution of the 192 long-term care beds has been finalized. These new beds will help improve access for seniors who require this level of care," said Kathy Durst, Chair, Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (WWLHIN). "The additional long-term care beds in Guelph and Cambridge will support the efforts of our health service providers in their commitment to provide the right care in the right place."

“The 96 additional long term care beds allocated to Cambridge is great news for the city and for peopleCare," said Brent Gingerich, CEO, peopleCare Inc. "The new beds at Hilltop Manor will provide the residents with much better access to long-term care services than is currently available in the Cambridge area. The new long term care home that peopleCare is excited to build will provide a state-of-the-art home-like environment and support other elements of the integrated health system leading to reduced wait times.”