Ontario is committing $35 million to bolster long-term care (LTC) homes that care for residents with complex medical and behavioural needs, the province announced last week at Midland Gardens Community long-term care home in Scarborough.
Funding targeted at equipment, staffing and transitions
The money will flow through the Local Priorities Fund (LPF), a program launched in 2022 that supports staffing, medical equipment and services intended to help residents transition from hospital to LTC, manage complex conditions in-place and avoid preventable emergency department visits.
In Scarborough, Midland Gardens received $67,000 in 2025–26 through the fund to purchase diagnostic and specialised equipment, including a vital-signs machine, officials said. The province said such purchases can reduce transfers to hospital by enabling more care to be provided in the home.
“Our government is protecting our long-term care system by investing in the specialized equipment and staffing needed to address complex conditions,”
The comment accompanying the announcement came from Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Ontario's minister of long-term care. She framed the funding as part of a multi-year commitment to ensure homes have access to tools required to care for residents.
Examples of where the fund has been used
Provincial figures released with the announcement show the LPF supported a range of projects last year. The program backed 1,168 projects at 394 long-term care homes and service providers across Ontario. Notable examples cited by the ministry include initiatives to support high-acuity residents, mental-health models, and enhanced wound care.
- 20 specialized beds with enhanced clinical staffing at Idlewyld Manor in Hamilton to accept high-acuity residents from hospital;
- Nearly 170 projects across Northern Ontario, representing almost $8.9 million, to assist residents with complex dementia, mobility and cardiovascular issues;
- An enhanced mental-health and substance-use model at Sunnyside Home in Kitchener;
- Expanded wound-care services at the Peter D. Clark Centre in Ottawa.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| LPF funding announced | $35 million |
| Projects supported (previous year) | 1,168 |
| Homes and service providers supported | 394 |
| Northern Ontario investment | ~$8.9 million |
Why the funding matters locally
Long-term care homes across Ontario face growing expectations to manage residents with increasingly complex clinical and behavioural needs. For many facilities, investments in equipment and targeted staffing translate into fewer trips to hospital and more stable care in familiar settings — a particular priority for rural and remote communities where emergency transfers can be lengthy and disruptive.
In urban centres such as Scarborough, the announcement underscored how smaller, targeted purchases — like vital-signs monitors — are intended to have a practical impact on everyday care and workload for staff, while also improving outcomes for residents.
What officials say about sustainability and scope
Officials described the LPF as a multi-year funding stream designed to give homes predictable access to resources. The ministry did not provide a breakdown of how the new $35-million allotment will be distributed across individual homes, regions or project types beyond the examples cited.
Provincial leaders and managers of LTC homes have warned for years that the system needs investments at the bedside level in addition to new construction. The LPF's focus on equipment and staffing is aimed at addressing those operational pressures rather than capital expansion.
What to watch next
Homes receiving funding must identify projects that directly support residents with complex needs or help reduce unnecessary hospital visits. Stakeholders and municipal partners will be watching for program details that explain application and reporting processes, eligibility criteria, and how the province will measure reductions in hospital transfers or other outcomes tied to the funding.
For families and advocates of long-term care residents, the new funding is likely to be assessed by its visible effects on care delivery: whether more residents can be treated within their homes, whether staff have access to appropriate tools and training, and whether emergency department visits decline.
As the province rolls out the new funding round, local long-term care homes and the health sector will be looking for clarity on timelines and the mechanics of accessing LPF dollars.
