The Municipality of Chatham-Kent will be sharing its disappointment with the province about losing 75 long term care beds at Tilbury Manor Nursing Home because the new owner wants to relocate them to Lakeshore.
Arch Corporation Long Term Care is planning to move the Tilbury beds from 16 Fort Street to Lakeshore as part of a redevelopment to create a new 160 bed long term care home at 1628 Essex County Road 22 in Belle River.
Chief Administrative Officer Don Shropshire said there's nothing they can do about the transfer of beds because Tilbury Manor was bought by Arch Corporation and it's a business decision but they can tell the province during the current licencing consultation period that Chatham-Kent still needs long term care beds now and in the future because of its seniors demographic.
"With respect to the beds, that is a concern for Chatham-Kent," said Shropshire. "Yes, we will be weighing in on it. We believe there is still a need for a number of long term care beds in Chatham-Kent and based on our demographics that's something we want to retain. If anything, with our aging population we're going to need more in the future. So, we will be making representation to the province to retain those beds in Chatham-Kent."
The consultation period ends July 4, 2021. The public can participate in this consultation by email at LTCHomes.Licensing@ontario.ca: or by mailing submissions to Director under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007, Ministry of Long-Term Care Capital Planning Branch, 1075 Bay Street, 11th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2B1.
Input can also be presented at a teleconference public meeting to be held on June 21, 2021 at 11 a.m. The dial-in phone number for the meeting is 1-855-340-1607. The participant pass code is 3342935#. The name of the long term care home and project #21-020 should be included on all written submissions.