Three Hamilton-area long-term care homes – the subject of outbreaks amid the COVID-19 pandemic – will receive millions from a one-time combined federal-provincial program for upgrades.
The combined investment of $6.68 million for Idlewyld Manor, St. Peter’s Residence and St. Joseph’s Villa is part of a $100-million project to improve HVAC systems and make retrofits or repairs to fire sprinkler systems in 95 long-term care homes across the province.
Idlewyld Manor on Sanatorium Road on the Mountain will get just over $2.76 million for a new HVAC system, chiller and boilers.
St. Joseph’s Villa in Dundas will get about $1.34 million to replace a chiller plant and fire sprinklers, while St. Peter’s Residence at Chedoke will receive about $2.58 million, which will also include an HVAC system and building automation.
Each of the homes has had outbreaks of varying degrees amid the pandemic.
St. Joseph’s Villa closed two of its units in an effort to contain an outbreak in late November. The outbreaks in the South and Birch Unit-North towers combined had 40 infected residents and 25 staff members. There were a pair of deaths among seniors in the outbreaks.
Idlewyld manor has had three outbreaks amid the pandemic, with an early November outbreak accounting for 25 cases among 13 residents and 12 staffers, and one resident death.
“Our Government is reversing decades of neglect and underfunding by repairing and rebuilding long-term care in Ontario like never before,” said Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, minister of long-term care. “Today’s investment in homes across the province is another part of our government’s plan to ensure our loved ones live in comfort and with the safety, dignity and respect they deserve.”
The funding is part of a combined federal-provincial investment of up to $1.05 billion to build or renovate health and safety-related projects in long-term care, education and municipalities through the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream (CVRIS) of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).