Franklin Gardens getting a new facility

By Mark Ribble

LEAMINGTON — Leamington’s most southerly long-term care home is getting a total rebuild, thanks to the Ontario government’s recent announcement to invest in 80 long-term care projects across the province.

Franklin Gardens, tucked into the neighbourhood behind the Franklin Subdivision, sits on a five-acre property, just northwest of the Leamington Marina.

The current one-storey, bungalow style building, was opened in 1974 and is currently operated by Arch Long-Term Care. There are 120 long-term care beds in the existing facility.

The new build will allocate an additional 40 long-term care beds, thanks to the government commitment to invest in the sector.

According to Lorne Stephenson, Arch Corporate Affairs spokesperson, the government commitment will allow them to modernize everything for existing residents in the new building.

“This will provide an opportunity to take advantage of new building technology, as well as modern technology in health care,” he said. “We’re very excited.”

Stephenson credits Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls with bringing their project together.

A front view of the current Franklin Gardens long-term care home.

Sun photo

“Rick has been instrumental in pulling this together,” he added.

“The number of people in Leamington who will need long-term care is expected to rise over the next decade,” said Nicholls. “This announcement will help ensure we have safe, modern spaces ready for them.”

In addition to modernizing the long-term care sector, these projects will help reduce wait-lists and end hallway medicine.

Province-wide, these investments also support key government priorities, including eliminating three-and-four-bed ward rooms, creating campuses of care and providing new spaces for Indigenous, Francophone and other cultural community residents.

According to Stephenson, the new build will be erected in close proximity to the existing home, facilitating an easy move for the residents when the new building is complete.

Criteria for selecting the projects included:

• Upgrading older homes in response to lessons learned around improved Infection

Prevention and Control (IPAC) measures, particularly the elimination of three and four-bed rooms;

• Adding spaces to areas where there is high need;

• Addressing the growing needs of diverse groups, including Francophone and Indigenous communities; and/or,

• Promoting campuses of care to better address the specialized care needs of residents.

Construction on the new 160- bed facility is expected to begin in the coming months and will take between 18 and 24 months to complete.

Once it is complete, the residents will be moved in and the current facility demolished.