EXTENDICARE BREAKS GROUND ON NEW LONG-TERM CARE HOME IN KINGSTON

Extendicare is celebrating the construction of a new, state-of-the-art long-term care home to serve the people of Kingston that will welcome 192 residents when complete in early 2023.

The new building will replace Kingston’s existing Extendicare home with one designed to modern standards for privacy, comfort and infection prevention and control. The home will provide restorative care, palliative care and offer more space for families to connect with and support their loved ones.

“This new home is so important for our Extendicare community here in Kingston. We’ve been through a challenging period together, we got through it together. With this new home, there’s even more to look forward to. Our residents, their families and our team are thrilled to have a new, modern home to enjoy, live and work in,” said Tawnia Pilgrim, Senior Administrator at Extendicare Kingston’s current home.

With a total cost of $51 million in the construction of this new home, this project is an example of the significant investments major long-term care operators contribute to modernize the seniors’ care system for the people who need its services.

“We are delighted to see this project move ahead, in no small part thanks to the support we have received from the province of Ontario for this project and to build a stronger, safer long-term care system. We also want to extend our gratitude to the City of Kingston for its dedication throughout this process to the long-term care residents in this community,” said Dr. Michael Guerriere, President and Chief Executive Officer of Extendicare. “Extendicare has a long history in Kingston. I’m excited to see our service to this community evolve into this next phase of quality care.”

All of Extendicare’s new buildings are designed to reduce the spread of highly contagious illnesses like COVID-19, with single resident rooms, updated HVAC systems and larger common areas to allow for physical distancing. The new home will accommodate an additional 42 residents, above the current home’s capacity, as well as create or sustain more than 200 jobs in Kingston.

The new Extendicare Kingston home is the second of nine recently announced Extendicare projects to break ground in Ontario, overall representing a total of 1,880 long-term care beds and a $500-million Extendicare investment to construct modern homes across our network.

“We made a commitment to replace or upgrade every older long-term care home in our network, as part of our plan to improve care, every day, for the people we serve and to improve the seniors’ care system in Canada,” said Dr. Guerriere. “It’s a big task and one that we take seriously. Modern homes, built to today’s standards are essential for our residents’ care and comfort. This project in Kingston is an important next step in the renewal of the long-term care system. We are proud to do our part.”