Comment
Caring signal
This is big. A much larger, modern and all-new HJ McFarland long-term care home has been approved by Queen’s Park. To be built and move-in ready within three years. It is tangible evidence that the desperate needs of rural Ontario are once again registering at Queen’s Park. The winds have changed.
MPP Todd Smith was in Picton on Friday to announce that his government is committing to building long-term care capacity for 160 residents—a new home for the 84 existing residents and a commitment to accommodate 76 more.
“We want to get moving,” said Smith. “We have one of the oldest demographics in the province and getting older faster.”
He’s right. According to the last census in 2016, 30 per cent of County residents were 65 years or older. That compares to 21 per cent nationally. And this cohort is set to bloom. The median age (the age at which there are as many folks younger as older) is 55, compared to 42 nationally. This means there is a swell of folks ready to join the ranks of seniors in the next few years. Complicating this picture is the troubling fact that the County’s population isn’t growing. A trend that has allowed rural communities, like this one, to fade from view on Queen’s Park’s radar. In fact, over the past two census periods, Prince Edward County’s population has slipped. By small amounts, for sure. But a decline nonetheless. Thus, it was easy for the previous provincial government to overlook us in favour of rapidly expanding suburbs and exurbs surrounding Toronto, Hamilton, KW, London and Ottawa. Despite a dire need for expanded services in our aging community, we didn’t represent enough votes. Or the right kind of votes.
When Picton Manor was closed due to operational issues in 2012, the loss of those 78 long-term care beds, and the jobs that were attached to them, was said to be temporary. But a few months later the story had changed—that long-term care capacity and jobs had been re-allocated elsewhere. To an expanding community. They weren’t coming back.
That our community’s compelling case is being heard now, and responded to in Toronto, is an encouraging and refreshing change. It can be an inflection point.
The plan is to build four 32-bed pods as per provincial guidelines, on four acres of land adjacent to the HJ McFarland facility. The existing home will remain operational while the new facilities are being built. Residents will be transferred when the new home opens.
There is an opportunity to generate operational efficiencies in a larger facility. Virtually doubling the capacity will enable HJ McFarland home to lever its buying power and better use staff resources. There will also be more enhanced specialized services for residents with behavioural challenges, dialysis and dementia needs. The modular pod, or campus model, also allows for easy growth and expansion as the need ar
Council must be up for the challenge. Politically there will be push back. Some, from the families of current residents, may worry about the disruption during construction. Neighbouring landowners will object anew, as the Age-in-Place strategy identified for this property takes another step toward realization. There will be some who will point to this news as a cloaked attempt to build a bypass roadway around Picton. Further, there will be an additional financial burden put upon this community in order to scale up human resources and systems to match the growth of this facility.
But each of these hurdles, in addition to others not yet identified, may be converted into opportunities— opportunities to counter the narrative that our population (and relevance in Toronto) is waning.
This announcement, combined with the development of a new hospital, sends a hopeful and confident signal to investors, developers and to ordinary folks considering putting down roots here. It trumpets the message that Prince Edward County remains a highly attractive investment opportunity and that its leaders have the means and foresight to put in place the facilities, services and infrastructure necessary to ensure we remain so for many decades to come.
Comments (0)