Construction is starting on six new long-term care homes, which are scheduled to open in the Halifax area in 2025.
In a release Wednesday, the province said the facilities will provide new living spaces for 720 seniors in need of long-term care.
The new facilities include:
- 96 rooms on Westwood Boulevard in Tantallon, operated by Gem Healthcare
- 144 rooms on Cole Harbour Road in Dartmouth, operated by Gem Healthcare
- 48 rooms on Gary Martin Drive in Bedford, operated by Northwood
- 144 rooms on Cobequid Road in Lower Sackville, operated by Rosecrest Communities
- 144 rooms in the Opal Ridge subdivision in Dartmouth, operated by Shannex
- 144 rooms on Starboard Drive in Bedford, operated by Shannex
Each room will be for one person and include a private bathroom. The operating costs for each new room will be about $140,000 annually.
The release said negotiations are also underway for a seventh long-term care facility in Halifax, which will include about 90 rooms.
Nova Scotia currently has the third-highest percentage of people aged 65 and older in the country, with that age group making up almost 22 per cent of the population. That number is expected to grow to 25 per cent by 2032.
“Seniors in our province deserve to have the peace of mind in knowing they will have a place to go to, if or when they need long-term care,” Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Barbara Adams said in the release.
“These new living spaces will help shorten waitlists and, more importantly, they will give our seniors the opportunity to live in dignity and comfort.”
The release also said a replacement facility for Northwood in Fall River is moving forward and a site has been selected. As well, a replacement facility is also planned for the Birches in Musquodoboit Harbour, which is also expected to open in 2025.
Melville Lodge in Halifax and Dykeland Lodge in Windsor are also due for replacement facilities.
“These builds are among 34 new and replacement facilities planned across the province, all of which are expected to open by 2027,” the release said. “Updates will continue to be provided as these projects advance.”
In total, those builds will add about 1,200 new long-term care rooms and replace another 2,300 rooms.
According to the province, there are about 8,000 Nova Scotians living in a long-term care facility and about 290 people are in hospital waiting for placement in long-term care.
“The new rooms will help meet the care needs of aging Nova Scotians and free up hospital beds for surgeries and other medical treatments,” the release said.