Newmarket and York Region’s long-term care homes are getting a boost with more paramedicine services and new equipment.
The provincial government is providing $3 million toward a new pilot program to expand paramedic services for those living in long-term care homes in select locations across the province. It also announced $6 million for another intake of applications for long-term care homes to get new care equipment to help diagnose and address more minor ailments.
Dignitaries visited the Newmarket Health Centre, where the new paramedicine program will be piloted, on Aug. 29 for the announcement. Acting Chief of York Region Paramedic Services Jeremy Watts said the funding is appreciated and community paramedics have gone a long way to helping residents stay safe in their homes.
“Community paramedicine is recognized internationally as a best practice to help manage increased demands for paramedic services and is an efficient way to deliver health care and provide the right care at the right time," he said.
Community paramedicine for long-term care dates back to a 2020 pilot that went on to be fully funded and expanded. It offers non-emergency home visits and testing procedures, ongoing monitoring of vital signs, diagnostic procedures and point-of-care testing, for those eligible for long-term care and those waiting for long-term care placement.
The new expansion called Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Plus will allow paramedics to deliver those services to individuals living in long-term care homes. It can offer diagnostic services like bloodwork, ultrasound and urinalysis for long-term care residents.
The expanded version of the program will be piloted at nine long-term care homes in York Region, including the region-operated Newmarket Health Centre.
“This brings care to residents and helps them avoid unnecessary hospital trips,” Minister of Long-Term Care Natalia Kusendova-Bashta said.
York Region chair and CEO Wayne Emmerson said he is proud to see Newmarket Health Centre be the first place to participate in the new program.
“This innovative initiative is a significant step forward in enhancing the quality care our residents receive, providing them with timely and convenient access to essential diagnostic services,” Emmerson said.
Along with York Region, the community paramedicine program is being rolled out by paramedic services in Cochrane District, Hastings-Quinte, Middlesex-London, Ottawa and Durham Region.
The province also announced another year and intake of the equipment and training fund for long-term care homes, with $6 million available provincewide for long-term care homes to apply for new medical equipment. In last year’s intake, homes like the Mackenzie Health Long-Term Care facility in Richmond Hill purchased a doppler and electrocardiogram machine to diagnose and treat congestive heart failure.
Georgina Mayor and vice-chair of the York Region health services committee Margaret Quirk noted York Region’s senior population is expected to double by 2051 when about one-fourth of residents will be seniors.
“As our community continues to grow and change, we are rethinking how we support our seniors,” she said. “To adequately address the current and future needs of our aging population, we require collaborative planning and evidence-based innovation.”
