Townsend had a lot of metrics that raised eyebrows at council
A grim picture for the future of elderly residents in the County was painted at Huron County Council’s meeting this morning (December 20th).
Director of Homes for the Aged, Connie Townsend, presented a comprehensive report on the changing landscape of long-term care (LTC) in the region.
The report delved into the three types of LTC homes in Ontario, some of which are locally funded, many of which are privately owned. Townsend pointed to the growing challenges of an aging population and the increasing need for beds and staffing.
Reeve of Howick Doug Harding expressed surprise at the decreasing average length of stay in LTC homes, prompting discussion on the physical state of residents who often arrive with complex needs, requiring increased care and staff time – many delay moving into long term care or are waitlisted for longer due to lack of capacity, meaning that by the time they actually arrive in the home, their needs are often palliative.
Reccomendations to council included the addition of 160 beds at Huronview, an 80 bed satellite home for the aged constructed in the northern part of the County, and eventual construction of another satellite home in the southern part of the County.
McLellan said that he felt the private sector could better keep up with demand.
Some councilors were in favour of getting out of the business of long term care altogether, with Mayor of Huron East Bernie MacLellan stating that he would prefer private services take over long term care in Huron County if they didn’t have the capacity to effectively serve the residents.
Klopp said he thought annual increases would be a better solution.
Additionally, council addressed the proposed rent increase for Heartland and Highland Apartments, catering to the elderly community needing partial care.
As of January 1st, the increase would see rent rise around 50% for new tenants, hiking one bedroom rent from $867.22 to $1,300.
Mayor of Bluewater Paul Klopp expressed that he believed that increases should be annual going forward to limit the sticker shock.
Further information will be coming back to county council to allow them to decide what the future of long term care in the County of Huron will look like, however, the update to rental rates was passed.
Written by: B. Shakyaver