Fewer care home beds now than in 2016, when Manitoba government promised to build more

Manitoba's Progressive Conservative government is farther behind in its pledge to build 1,200 new personal care home beds than when it made the promise in 2016, according to numbers obtained by the Opposition.

In 2016, the Tories made an election pledge to add 1,200 beds over an eight-year period.

However, the total number of licensed beds has fallen from 9,698 in 2016 to 9,549 as of this September, according to a document obtained by the NDP through a freedom of information request.

Since the 2016 pledge, the province has added more than 450 beds, but some of that progress was eroded this year with the closure of Parkview Place, the aging downtown facility that was the site of one of the province's deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks.

While the PC's new-bed commitment seems increasingly out of reach, Julie Turenne-Maynard, executive director of the Manitoba Association of Residential and Community Care Homes for the Elderly, says that doesn't mean the promise no longer holds importance.

"The promise still matters because the need is there," Turenne-Maynard said.

"I know that there is a huge seniors strategy that is taking place right now. They're looking at best practices worldwide on living in community, developing housing models and getting that feedback.

"But the reality is even though we may be changing the model for long-term and continuing care, this still needs to take place, because there are always over 200 people that are waiting to get into personal care homes in Winnipeg alone."

Turenne-Maynard expects the demand to only increase as the population ages.

Promise unlikely to be kept: NDP

NDP Leader Wab Kinew accused the governing Tories of not only breaking an election promise, but moving the numbers in the wrong direction.

"You see the PCs coming out day after day, trying to put out press releases and make announcements about health care, but who can believe them?" Kinew told reporters on Friday, after the NDP disclosed the care home bed numbers during question period at the legislature.

Health Minister Audrey Gordon said during question period that the government's upcoming seniors strategy will address the long-term placement needs of elderly Manitobans.

She also said some health regions have asked for other types of beds, such as spaces in behavioural units, rather than traditional care home beds.

"We want to be able to support their needs as it relates to their specific jurisdictions, and we're going to continue to work with the regional health authorities in the days and months to come," Gordon said.

But Turenne-Maynard said going forward, "it's still long-term care" that's needed.

"We need additional infrastructure that is going to respond to that."

In a statement, the government said it has committed $661 million for personal care homes in this year's budget and has also pledged to increase staffing at the province's homes.

Since 2016, the province has built the 100-bed Tabor Home in Morden and added 157 new beds at Holy Family Home in Winnipeg. As well, the Boyne Lodge in Carman was expanded with 79 new beds and 143 beds have opened at the new Rest Haven Personal Care Home in Steinbach, the province said.