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Oxford to Apply for Funding for New Long-Term Care Facility

Oxford County will be submitting a funding application to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, in hopes of bringing at least 160 new long-term care beds to Ingersoll.

INGERSOLL - Oxford County will be applying for funding from the province in order to build a new long-term care facility in Ingersoll.

Warden Marcus Ryan says we need more long-term care beds in our community.

"You don't have to talk to too many people in Oxford County to realize that there are a lot of people who know somebody who is waiting for a long-term care bed. There are currently 1,500 people on a waitlist in Oxford County for long-term care beds and a lot of them are waiting 1,200 days, which is almost four years."

He says council decided last night to apply for at least 160 new beds.

"With the other private beds that are operated in the county, some of those might close and we have no control over whether they do or don't. If we add another 160 (beds) and if some of those other ones close and the demand increases, it's not going to be good enough. Council was pretty clear to staff to talk to the Ministry about getting as many (beds) as we could and work it out in a business case so we can deliver to Oxford residents."

Ryan says we'll have to wait about eight months before we hear anything back, but the county will have open conversations with the province during that time.

If the funding application is approved, Ryan says this facility would work alongside Alexandra Hospital and Woodingford Lodge to form a campus of care. It would also provide care for those with short-term transitional needs, like someone who requires extra care after undergoing surgery from the hospital.

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