Construction starts on new long-term care home in Athens

Ontario Construction News staff writer

Construction has started on a new building for Maple View Lodge, a long-term care home in Athens, about 90 kilometres southwest of Ottawa. Funding is part of the government’s $6.4 billion commitment to build more than 30,000 net new beds by 2028 and 28,000 upgraded long-term care beds across the province.

“Congratulations to Maple View Lodge on the ground-breaking for their home expansion project,” Minister of Long-Term Care Paul Calandra said at a ground-breaking ceremony. “Today’s construction start is a significant milestone for Athens – and will bring 132 new beds to the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.

“When building is completed, 192 residents will have a new place to call home, near their family and friends.”

Maple View Lodge will be operated by the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville and is expected to open in early 2025 with 132 new beds and 60 revamped existing beds. The building will also boast design improvements including semi-private and private rooms, no ward rooms, larger resident common areas and air conditioning throughout the home.

The new Maple View Lodge will offer specialized health care, behavioural support and palliative care services, which helps integrate the long-term care home into the broader health care system and ensures residents have access to the care they need. This upgraded home will help Ontario address the growing demand for long-term care which has increased wait times for beds and contributed to hallway health care.

“This ground-breaking marks a significant moment for our community,” said Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. “After the challenges of the pandemic, I am proud to be part of a government following through on its commitment to support and strengthen long-term care.”

The Ontario government has said 30,000 new long-term care beds will be built across the province by 2028. As of June 2022, more than 39,000 people were on the waitlist to access a long-term care bed in Ontario. The median wait time is 120 days for applicants to be placed in long-term care.

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