Welland Hospital closed its long-term care home, saying the building did not meet safety standards
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Welland Hospital long-term care home, which has operated in the region for more than 50 years, is closing this summer, Niagara Health has announced.
The home, which currently has 87 residents, is in a building that does not meet safety standards and Niagara Health says renovation is “not possible.”
Niagara Health said on February 4 that the hospital’s extended care and interim long-term care units would close in June.
Jennifer Dube helps care for a resident in a long-term care unit. He has power of attorney for his father’s girlfriend, Sandra Barwell, 70, who has lived in the unit since 2022.
And while Dubey and others were concerned about the short notice at first, once she heard more details about the closure during a virtual town hall, she said she understood the decision.
“This needs to be done for the safety of all residents,” Dubey told CBC News.
According to Niagara Health, the home, which was built in 1971, “no longer meets modern long-term care safety and accessibility standards.”
“The building does not have a full sprinkler system, which is now a requirement for long-term care homes,” Niagara Health told CBC in an email.
The units are attached to the hospital but “operate under different standards and serve different populations,” Niagara Health said.
The regional healthcare provider says the decision was not made to cut costs, but because the building’s aging “mechanical infrastructure and design” would make it impossible to make the structural changes needed to meet current safety long-term care needs.
residents to be relocated
Niagara Health says it is one of the few hospitals in Ontario with a long-term care home. With the operating license for the home coming up in June, she decided not to renew.
AtHome, Ontario Health’s long-term care placement group, is now tasked with helping residents find home care options with other regional long-term care providers.Meet their medical needs and preferences.
According to Niagara Health, priority will be given to residents impacted by the closure or with complex needs.
“The home will remain open until the last resident has left,” Niagara Health said. New patients are also not being admitted now.
If there are still residents who have not been assigned by June, the regional health care provider says operations and staffing care will extend to September 2026 — a deadline granted by Ontario’s Ministry of Long-Term Care.
MPP concerned about long-term care waitinglist
Jeff Birch, MPP for Niagara Centre, said the announcement is “deeply worrying”.
He said the decision “worsens the impact of the health care crisis in Welland and across Niagara amid a severe shortage of LTC beds… With our community’s long-term care waiting list numbers already rising, it is deeply irresponsible for this provincial government to not have a plan for our community.”
Meanwhile, Dubé said she felt some relief after hearing the next steps, which include daily visits from Ontario Health atHome coordinators to speak with each of the 87 long-term care residents.
“I depend on that care,” Dubey said. He added that they are now on the waiting list for other care homes. “(Barwell) is 100 percent dependent on staff for his care.”
Barwell uses a wheelchair that requires a two-person lift and suffers from diabetes. Dubey says it gives her peace of mind that Barwell is living in a 24-hour care setting, with emergency care nearby and isn’t home alone.
Still, he said, he’ll miss the staff.
“It makes me want to cry because they’re like family,” Dubey said. “They’ve taken such good care of the person I’m responsible for… I’m sad she’ll probably never see that staff again.”
According to Niagara Health, there will be no immediate staffing changes at the long-term care unit, which will have been fully staffed in the months leading up to the closure.
It said Niagara Health is working with unions to discuss what’s next for affected employees in relation to their collective agreements.
“A key priority for us is maintaining and increasing long-term care beds in Welland,” Welland Mayor Frank Campion wrote in a statement shared on Facebook.
“The City will work closely with our partners to support efforts to help affected workers during this period of uncertainty,” Campion said.
- If you or a loved one is affected by the upcoming closure, we would like to hear from you. email diona.macalinga@godfear.in.
