Over $1 million in funding for COVID-19 prevention in Nipissing’s long-term care (LTC) facilities has been invested by the provincial government.
Vic Fedeli, Nipissing MPP, announced the funding early Tuesday.
“This funding will assist with stopping the spread of this virus and protect our most vulnerable and the staff who have been working tirelessly to keep them safe,” he stated.
Cassellholme Home for the Aged is among the area’s LTCs to receive support. The residence will get $152,000 from this investment, making it nearly $1.2 million in total provincial pandemic support.
Jamie Lowery, CEO of Cassellholme, says the province’s support has been “unprecedented”.
“I’ve never seen anything like that and the support has been pretty amazing,” he commented.
Lowery says Cassellholme was among the first LTC homes in the province to adjust its visiting strategies for the pandemic. This included setting up virtual, outdoor and window visits in the early stages of the pandemic when visitors were restricted.
Through the direction of his health advisors and the local Health Unit, Lowery says Cassellholme was able to provide residents time with their loved ones, which he views as crucial.
“Without that contact, the residents’ mental health was almost more detrimental than COVID,” he noted.
With news of the Moderna vaccine arriving in North Bay on Monday, and LTC residents first-in-line to receive the shot, Lowery is cautiously hopeful for the near future.
“It’s a large burden that’s off our staff. Nobody wants to deal with the devastation that comes with a COVID outbreak,” he said. “You’re on pins and needles all the time and you’re one swab away from an outbreak.”
Cassellholme is one of five LTC homes in the region to receive provincial support. The rest of the investment includes:
- Water’s Edge Community Living in North Bay – $384,200
- Eastholme Home for the Aged, Powassan – $253,400
- Algonquin Nursing Home in Mattawa – $176,800
- Nipissing Manor Nursing Care Centre in Corbeil – $46,000
