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Whisperwood community care and nursing home in Charlottetown is getting 82 more long-term care beds, the province announced Tuesday.
The contract to expand the facility and operate the beds has been awarded to Enhanced Living, with the P.E.I. government providing more than $100 million over a 30-year agreement to support construction costs.
The province will also pay an estimated $10.1 million annually once the beds are operational to help offset accommodation costs.
The expansion is expected to be completed and the beds open by 2029.
Health and Wellness Minister Cory Deagle, left, and P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz unveil plans Tuesday for an expansion to Charlottetown’s Whisperwood community care and nursing home. (Steve Bruce/CBC)
“We’ve got a growing population, an aging population, and this will also relieve a lot of pressure from our hospital system,” Premier Rob Lantz said.
“Long-term care is an integral part of our health-care services as a whole and there’s a lot of stress here in this area and expanding our capacity … is going to go a long way to relieving a lot of pressure.”
A government news release said the Whisperwood expansion brings the number of long-term care beds under development to 222 between Charlottetown, Cornwall and Summerside. The province has also issued a request for proposals for up to 48 new beds in Kings County.
With the current projects, the number of long-term care beds in P.E.I. is expected to increase to 1,595 by 2029.
Health and Wellness Minister Cory Deagle said the department has a plan over the coming years to train and recruit more staff.
“We do have a … two- to three-year window with a lot of these announcements to train more staff and build up that capacity,” he said.
“I think there’s time to work on that and I think that our operators do a good job.”
Darlene Oakes, executive director of the Nursing Home Association of P.E.I., called the announcement “extraordinarily good news” and said there is a “universal need” for more long-term care beds across the country.
Darlene Oakes, executive director of the Nursing Home Association of P.E.I., called Tuesday’s announcement ‘extraordinarily good news.’ (Steve Bruce/CBC)
“This organization has an excellent reputation and is going to be able to provide that safe, quality, person-centred care,” she said.
“It takes, certainly, a whole team of people to look after the residents, and that is housekeeping, dietary, activities, nursing care, physician care, allied health — it’s a huge team of people.”
Enhanced Living’s chief financial officer, Joshua Simon, said there are many people currently in hospital beds who should be in long-term care homes.
“We provide competitive wages, good benefits, we don’t hire travel nurses and we staff above what government regulations require,” Simon said.
“We have a really good history of providing really great care and keeping our home fully staffed.”
Joshua Simon, Enhanced Living’s chief financial officer, says there are many people currently in hospital beds who should be in long-term care homes. (Steve Bruce/CBC)
Lantz said the long-term care beds will allow Islanders to age in place close to their communities and families.
“We recognize the need, I recognize the need and I’ve worked with my minister of health, the Department of Health and Wellness, Health P.E.I. to get the ball rolling,” he said.
“It’s time to relieve the pressure in our hospitals, it’s time to serve our Island seniors with world-class, modern facilities where they can age with dignity. It’s just the right thing to do.”