New and Improved Long-Term Care Rooms for Truro

More seniors in the Truro area will have access to modern, single-bed long-term care rooms with the replacement of two local nursing homes.

The Mira nursing home will be replaced by a new facility with about 120 rooms, expected to open in 2032. The new Townsview Estates will include about 53 rooms when it opens in 2031. These new builds will add an estimated 30 long-term care rooms in the area.

Dave Ritcey, MLA for Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River, made the announcement on behalf of Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Barbara Adams today, November 23.

“These new nursing homes will offer comfortable, modern spaces that seniors who need long-term care can call home,” said Mr. Ritcey. “They will also help alleviate pressure on our healthcare system across the board. Today’s announcement is great news for our community – and a wonderful addition to support the future care needs of our residents.”

The new Truro facilities are part of the recent addition of 2,200 rooms to the Province’s long-term care infrastructure plan. This plan expansion includes new long-term care homes that will add about 800 rooms to the long-term care system and the replacement of older homes with new, modern facilities that will have about 1,400 rooms. All of these new homes are expected to be ready by 2032. The original plan included homes with about 3,500 rooms expected to be ready by 2027. Together, these new spaces will help to meet the care needs of the province’s aging population.

All new living spaces will be single rooms, each with its own private washroom. The government is contracting with several long-term care providers for new facilities and to replace existing ones.

More announcements about locations of new and replacement rooms will take place in the coming weeks. Information and progress updates on all 5,700 rooms are available at: https://novascotia.ca/long-term-care-rooms-progress-updates/

Building and improving more long-term care rooms is part of Action for Health, the Province’s strategic plan to improve healthcare. Building and renovating facilities with single-bed rooms, and ensuring seniors live with dignity and can age well are also commitments in the Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister’s mandate.

Quotes:

“This redevelopment and expansion symbolizes a profound investment in the well-being of our residents to ensure they receive the highest standard of care possible, the enhancement of our caregiving capabilities and the strengthening of our bonds as a community. We are not just a nursing home, we are a community partner, and this project reflects our commitment to contributing positively to the town's growth and development.”

– Marisol Aggabao, Director of Health Care Services, The Mira

“We are over-the-top excited about receiving a new modern-day facility for our residents. It’s a win for both the residents of Townsview and the community as a whole. This is a strong recognition of an important need in our community. We credit all involved for their hard work and forward planning to ensure seniors continue to be properly cared for in the years to come.”

– Bill Boyle, Administrator, Townsview Estates

Quick Facts:

• the long-term care infrastructure plan was announced in January
• current wait lists for long-term care spots vary across the province; as of November 15, there were just over 1,700 people waiting at home for placement in long-term care
• of those waiting at home, more than 70 per cent receive home care
• seniors make up close to 22 per cent of Nova Scotia’s population; this is expected to climb to more than 25 per cent by 2032
• the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment, Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care, and the continuing care sector are working together to recruit the staff needed to support the delivery of care that will be required for these new rooms

Additional Resources:

News release: Province Adding, Replacing More Long-Term Care Rooms: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20231120001

News release – First Long-Term Care Replacement Home Opens: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20230929006

News release – Construction Beginning on Long-Term Care Homes in Central Zone: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20230517001

News release – Province Building More Long-Term Care Rooms: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20230111001

Action for Health, the government’s plan for transforming the healthcare system: https://novascotia.ca/actionforhealth

Mandate letter for the Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-SLTC.pdf