Increasing skin, wound care in long-term care homes

The provincial government will provide $1 million in funding to long-term care homes to support training and education expenses for up to 400 long-term care home staff taking part in skin and wound care training.

“Our government is working to ensure long-term care residents get the high-quality care they need in the convenience of their own home,” says Minister of Long-Term Care Natalia Kusendova-Bashta. “Getting treatment at home where they are most comfortable will enhance quality of life and reduce the need for hospital visits.”

Due to age, health conditions and chronic illnesses, long-term care residents may be more susceptible to skin and wound issues. The government will invest $329,400 in Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada to deliver the Skin Wellness Associate Nurse program to 90 nurses and $671,900 in Wounds Canada to deliver the Wound Care Champion Program to 100 regulated health care providers and the Skin Health Program for Personal Care Providers to 200 personal care providers.

The government is also investing up to $9 million in the Equipment and Training Fund, which helps long-term care homes buy diagnostic equipment and train staff so they can provide better care for residents. Investments are targeted to help buy equipment that can detect and prevent conditions that most often lead to preventable hospital visits, such as urinary tract infections, falls, pneumonia and congestive heart failure.

Ontario’s previous investment of $10.5 million in the Equipment and Training Fund last year helped more than a third of all long-term care homes connect residents to care in the comfort of their own homes, the government reports. As part of its plan to fix long-term care and address sector waitlists, it’s building 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds across the province, it adds.