Construction is underway on a new building for Broadview Nursing Home in Smith Falls, Ontario, one of many long-term care homes being redeveloped in the province.

The upgraded home (currently known as Broadview Nursing Centre) will welcome its first residents in 2025 with 128 new beds in private and basic rooms, design improvements, including larger resident common areas and air conditioning throughout the home, and a spiritual space, café and hair salon.

The design is centred around four ‘resident home areas’ to create more intimate and familiar living spaces for up to 32 residents, with dining and activity areas, a secure courtyard for residents and visitors, lounges and bedrooms. Each courtyards will include a wandering path, garden planters, elder-friendly surfaces, grading, transitions, and family-friendly and intergenerational components.

“This ground-breaking ceremony is more than just a symbolic start of construction, it signifies our continued commitment to provide care and support to our community,” Jim Parsons, president of Broadview Nursing Home said last week. “We thank the Government of Ontario for its historic investments in long-term care and enabling us to make this new long-term care home possible.”

According to the latest data, the provincial government said 35 projects with 5,351 new and upgraded beds, are being built since January 2023. As of April, more than 40,000 people were on the waitlist to access a long-term care bed. The median wait time for placement is 123 days.