Long-term care homes in Ontario have more money to access to expand services for residents with complex care needs.

Fifteen million dollars is being added, increasing the size of the Local Priorities Fund to $35 million.

Minister of Long-Term Care Stan Cho says the fund was created in 2022 .

“The LPF, Local Priorities Fund, focuses on expanding access to specialized services and supports for LTC residents with complex care needs related to, for example, mental illness, dementia or bariatric care, says Cho. “Ultimately, the point of this fund is to ensure that residents have the right care in the right place, in other words, to give residents access to service right where they live instead of having to make unnecessary trips to the hospital.”

Twenty million was provided to homes last year to purchase specialized equipment and train staff to provide more specialized care.

Close to $3 million went to homes in northern Ontario for a range of projects that included training staff on dementia, wound care, and how to use specialized equipment such as bariatric lifts and bladder scanners.

“Through the Local Priorities Fund, our government is continuing to ensure that Ontarians, at every stage of life, have access to the care and support they need, when they need it,” states Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, in a release.