Ontario is supporting the construction of a new long-term care home in downtown Toronto that will provide a comfortable and supportive living environment for residents that require extra care, along with a dedicated unit for residents with dementia. Long-term care homes provide adults with a place to live while receiving help with many or all of their daily activities through 24-hour nursing and personal care.

The new facility will be located in the West Don Lands and will replace Rekai’s current facility at 345 Sherbourne Street in downtown Toronto. It will provide residents with a modern and comfortable environment that supports a higher quality of life for residents, including rooms with more privacy and greater capability to accommodate residents with complex needs. It will also include more space for programs such as rehabilitation, physiotherapy and more accessible living and dining areas.

“The new Rekai Centre is an example of an integrated, multi-service community hub that will provide affordable housing and long-term care programs in a client-centred way, under one roof,” said Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure, in a press release.

Ontario has nearly doubled its funding for long-term care since 2003, when it contributed $2.10 billion. In 2017, funding reached more than $4.14 billion. In addition, since 2003, more than 10,000 long-term care beds have been developed and more than 13,500 older long-term care beds have been redeveloped, through various programs.

“Our parents and grandparents deserve to live in comfort and safety with access to the right care, at the right time, in the right place,” added Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. “That’s why our government is committed to redeveloping long-term care beds across Ontario to improve the quality of life for residents. This new centre is exactly what we want to see in redeveloped homes: it will be modern, comfortable and ready to accommodate people with increasingly complex health needs.”