A version of this article was first published by StratfordToday, a Village Media publication.
Ontario's Minister of Long-Term Care has announced $100 million in funding to extend and expand two programs that will train personal support workers and nurses.
Stan Cho said Wednesday the Progressive Conservative government is delivering $94.5 million over three years to extend the Preceptor Resource and Education Program (Prep LTC), which he said has helped 500 long-term care facilities provide clinical placements for more than 17,000 nursing and personal support worker (PSW) students. The funding will support 31,000 new clinical placements by 2027.
Another $11 million, also over three years, will expand Living Classrooms, which helps students train to become PSWs on-site in local long-term care homes. That will double the number of living classrooms from 20 to 40, and support training up to 1,300 new PSW's by 2026.
"The job is not done," Cho said at Spruce Lodge's long-term care facility, Perth County's Living Classroom. "These investments are part of a plan for a pipeline to train talent and reinforcements and recruit thousands, tens of thousands, of front-line health-care workers into the system."
Cho said the government is trying to improve long-term care through four pillars: connecting seniors with faster, more convenient access to the services they need; improving staff and care levels at long-term care; driving accountability through better transparency by building modern, safe, comfortable long-term care homes for seniors, and making sure they continue to invest in long-term care environments to create homes.
The funding announcement falls under the second pillar of improving staffing and care, he said.
The government has said that clinical placements are a key part of nursing and PSW education and provide students with critical hands-on experience under the supervision of experts or existing long-term care staff, also known as preceptors.
Lisa Walsh, director of education, Avon Maitland District School Board, said the board's Centre for Employment and Learning has trained students to become PSWs. Graduates are sought after, and some are employed at Spruce Lodge.
"This came about by finding the gaps, and how can we fill those gaps. We talk about pathways with students. Some are university and college bound, others are skilled trades-oriented, others want to go into social services. This is one option of many."
Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae said one of the key initiatives is extending the reach of training programs.
"Right here in Stratford, we are making sure that students receive hands-on training to meet the unique needs of our senior population."
The MPP said the programs are only successful due to local community partnerships.
Cho said the Conservatives are building 58,000 new spaces in long-term care homes.
"This preceptor program is going to be the essence of that, giving growth to existing long-term care staff and the opportunity for career development."
Rae said the provincial government is focused on building more long-term care homes and Perth County will see 905 new and upgraded beds in the riding.
Of that total, 373 are "new" and 532 are "upgraded", in Perth-Wellington.
In Stratford/Perth that includes: 100 new and 60 upgraded/restored at peopleCare (Stratford); 128 upgraded at West Perth Village (Ritz Lutheran Villa); 38 new and 98 upgraded at Hillside Manor (Perth East); 44 new and 52 upgraded at Caressant Care (Listowel), 36 new and 60 upgraded at Wildwood Care Centre (St. Marys); 66 new and 66 upgraded at Kingsway Lodge (St. Marys) and three new at Knollcrest Lodge (Milverton).
West Perth Village is the most recent that has opened, which are upgraded beds and two long-term homes combined into one. Rae said some are "in the works," depending on the applicant. Hillside will be a brand new build on the site of the former Avon Crest Hospital. The peopleCare facility will also be a new build, though a location has not yet been determined.
Cho, noted it is important to "get out of the GTA bubble" to visit places such as Stratford. The needs of places like Spruce Lodge are unique to them, and they are "familiar with the program that we are announcing today" and continue to provide live classrooms that "provide unique training opportunities for PSWs and nurses."
Cho said challenges still exist in living spaces for seniors.
"Let's not sugar-coat the challenge we face in this province. When you say you are building 58,000 new and redeveloped (long-term care spaces), they are not homes unless you have that team, the health human resources behind it. We know that globally, that supply chain is challenged right now."
Cho said the ministry has several programs for retention and promotion strategies, including $300 million in funding for PSWs, providing incentives to enter and stay in the sector. Specifically, $5,400 as an allowance while they are in their clinical placement, a $10,000 bonus for staying in the long-term care sector for 12 months, and an additional $10,000 if a PSW goes to a rural or northern Ontario community.
Cho also mentioned the Learn and Earn Accelerated Program (LEAP), a $100 million investment to allow PSWs in the system to scale their skills up to an RPN, or an RPN to scale up to an RN.
"That is not going to solve the problem, we need more," he acknowledged. Cho said the province needs 45,000 PSWs alone by 2028 to fill the commitment to the capital-built side.
Cho said both programs create hands-on learning opportunities for students, enabling them to build relationships with residents and colleagues, among other things.
"Everybody wins. Students, long-term care homes and, most importantly, the residents that they serve."
