More long-term care beds could be opening up in Huntsville. The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care is looking at a proposal to add 20 beds to the Fairvern Nursing Home, which currently has 76. That decision will be made after a public consultation on the proposal, which is coming up later this month.
This is part of a larger project to redevelop the nursing home, of which the District of Muskoka has committed $10 million to as long as the province approves the additional beds. If the proposal is denied, it’s possible the nursing home would close. The district is also looking at the possibility of taking over ownership of the home, which is currently run by a board of volunteers. When the district approved the funding last December, Huntsville Mayor Scott Aitchison noted it would be a disaster for all of Muskoka if it was to close. Huntsville has also committed to this project by offering a portion of land for the proposed development to be built on.
Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Norm Miller has recently been advocating for long-term care in Ontario, saying more beds are needed in the province. He says some people are being forced to wait for weeks to get into long term care homes, taking up space in hospitals when they should be getting care elsewhere.
The public meeting on the Fairvern redevelopment project is happening on December 12th from 1:00pm to 2:00pm at the Huntsville Public Library, in the Friends Multi-Purpose Room.
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