‘The quality of care our residents receive is a direct reflection of the dedicated people who work in our long-term care homes every day,’ says warden
NEWS RELEASE
COUNTY OF SIMCOE
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The County of Simcoe is pleased to hear about the Province of Ontario’s recent announcement regarding its investment of nearly $75 million aimed at enhancing the long-term care workforce. This investment highlights the significance of attracting, training, and keeping skilled professionals who provide essential care to seniors throughout the province.
In Simcoe County, we prioritize investing in people, particularly within our four long-term care homes and senior services locations.
“The quality of care our residents receive is a direct reflection of the dedicated people who work in our long-term care homes every day,” said Warden Basil Clarke. “Simcoe County has made significant investments in staffing, recruitment, and professional development because we know a strong workforce leads to better outcomes for residents. We welcome Ontario’s continued commitment to strengthening the long-term care sector and supporting the professionals who provide compassionate, high-quality care to our seniors.”
From 2021 to 2025, staffing hours across the county’s four long-term care homes increased by more than 40 percent, resulting in around 200 additional positions focused on resident care. Because of this effort, county homes continue to provide excellent service, with residents receiving an average of 4.65 hours of direct care per day across all long-term care homes in 2025 and 2026-well above provincial standards.
The county is also dedicated to building a strong workforce for the future. Over recent years, long-term care and senior services have:
onboarded 464 new employees, including over 90 nurses. Recruitment events, streamlined hiring processes, and professional development opportunities helped attract and keep talented health-care professionals enrolled 11 nurses in the Community Commitment Program for Nurses (CCPN), which provides up to $25,000 in recruitment incentives along with additional rural bonuses for eligible positions registered 62 personal support workers through provincial funding programs designed to aid recruitment into long-term careers enrolled 11 RNs/RPNs through the new Ontario Health JOIN LTC funded initiative provided up to $3,500 each year in education incentives offered higher compensation and benefits compared to other organizations within the long-term care sector
The county has also promoted staff advancement via education and career development initiatives that help employees enhance their skills while continuing their work with residents. Furthermore, by fostering a stronger internal workforce, agency staffing costs were reduced by an impressive 77 percent from 2024 levels.
We take staffing in our long-term care homes very seriously at the county level. Our commitment remains focused on ensuring that resident needs are always prioritized by all employees. We continuously strive to improve quality across all facilities through enhanced monitoring that guarantees compliance with requirements while aiming for staffing levels that exceed provincial standards wherever possible-all while maintaining a healthy work-life balance for our valued team members.
Provincial recruitment and retention programs have further boosted these initiatives by helping connect more nurses and personal support workers with fulfilling careers serving Ontario’s seniors.
As demand for long-term care services keeps rising, Simcoe County stays committed to prioritizing its residents’ needs while supporting dedicated staff members so local seniors can enjoy dignified lives filled with quality assistance.
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