Sault Area Hospital CEO Ron Gagnon says our community is in desperate need of increasing the number of long-term care beds and as part of addressing that need the local hospital is considering establishing a long-term care facility on its property.
Gagnon was on hand at last night’s city council meeting and he says our community would need the equivalent of two more FJ Davey Homes by 2021 to meet anticipated need for beds.
Right now the waiting list is about 650 and it will take around two years to find them beds based on the existing available beds.
Council was told the percentage of Sault Ste. Marie’s population over the age of 75 is about 10% which is 3% higher than the province.
The province has committed to providing up to 5-thousand new long-term care beds.