-
Ontario Connects Over Half a Million More People to a Family Doctor or Primary Care Team
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-10-26 14:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Seniors]The Government of Ontario announced that its $3.4 billion Primary Care Action Plan, led by Dr. Jane Philpott, has connected over 511,000 more people to a family doctor or primary care team and cleared more than 470,000 people from the Health Care Connect waitlist since January 2025. The initiative, supported by funding expansions including an additional $325 million annually in the 2026 Ontario Budget, is on track to attach every resident in the province to primary care by 2029. Collaborating institutions such as Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Vibrant Community Health have implemented local multi-partner models to rapidly expand access for thousands of patients, including equity-deserving populations in North Toronto.
Read Original -
Ontario Providing Free Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines Across the Province
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-10-26 13:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Seniors]The Ontario Ministry of Health announced that free flu and COVID-19 vaccines are now available to the general public aged six months and older across participating pharmacies, public health units, and primary care offices. Administered under the province's 'Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care', the initiative recommends co-administration of the vaccines alongside respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunizations (Abrysvo® or Arexvy) for individuals 75 years and older, specific high-risk adults aged 60 to 74, infants up to eight months born on or after April 1, 2026, and pregnant individuals.
Read Original -
Ontario Enabling Access to Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-10-20 14:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Technology, Seniors]The Ontario government is advancing legislative and regulatory changes through the Health Innovation Pathway to enable the sale and use of Health Canada approved over-the-counter hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. Following a 30-day public consultation launched in April 2026, the updated regulations will allow manufacturers of in-ear headphones and earbuds with hearing aid capabilities to activate these features without requiring a prescription. The new measure operates alongside the existing model of care, meaning prescribed hearing aids will continue to be eligible for up to 75 per cent funding assistance (to a maximum of $500) under the Assistive Devices Program, while over-the-counter devices will not be covered.
Read Original -
Ontario Expanding Access to Dementia Care in Long-Term Care Homes
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Long-Term Care
Date: 2026-10-08 16:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Seniors, Social Services]The Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care is investing nearly $13 million to expand the Improving Dementia Care Program (IDCP) and increase Behavioural Specialized Unit (BSU) capacity. Specifically, $3 million will fund the IDCP expansion to 13 additional long-term care homes—including Villa St. Gabriel Villa in Sudbury, which receives $247,545—connecting up to 1,300 additional residents to emotion-based dementia care models by 2027-28. Additionally, the province is committing $9.82 million annually in 2026-27 to fund up to 153 new BSU beds across five long-term care facilities to provide person-centred therapies and divert dementia patients from acute care hospitals.
Read Original -
Ontario Protecting Communities from Respiratory Illnesses
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-09-25 17:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Seniors]The Ontario Ministry of Health, led by Minister Sylvia Jones and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore, announced its fall 2026 immunization programs targeting respiratory illnesses, including influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. Initial supplies of COVID-19 and flu vaccines will become available starting the week of September 28, 2026, for high-risk groups such as hospitalized patients, hospital staff, long-term care residents and staff, and individuals aged 65 and older, before expanding to the general public on October 26, 2026. Additionally, the adult RSV prevention program covers individuals aged 60 to 74 meeting high-risk criteria or living in specific settings, as well as those 75 and older using vaccines such as Abrysvo® or Arexvy, while newborns, infants up to eight months old, and high-risk children up to 24 months are eligible for Beyfortus® starting October 1, 2026.
Read Original -
Ontario Celebrates Opening of New Long-Term Care Home in Milton
Source: Ontario - Premier's Office
Date: 2026-09-23 15:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Seniors, Infrastructure, Housing]The Ontario government celebrated the grand opening of The Village of Ridgeview Court in Milton, a 192-space long-term care home operated by Schlegel Villages Inc. The project is part of the province's target to build 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care spaces under the 2026 Ontario Budget and the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021. The three-storey facility features all private rooms organized into six resident home areas and created over 250 construction jobs alongside 200 permanent positions.
Read Original -
Ontario Breaks Ground on Two Long-Term Care Homes in Oakville
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Long-Term Care
Date: 2026-08-25 16:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Seniors, Infrastructure, Housing]The Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care broke ground on two new long-term care homes in Oakville developed by Schlegel Villages Inc. under the province's Surplus Lands program. Known collectively as The Village of Heritage Trails, the project will feature 640 total beds—comprising 554 new and 86 upgraded spaces—organized into ten 320-bed facilities connected by a central amenity corridor. The development is scheduled to welcome its first residents in summer 2028, creating approximately 700 construction jobs and 1,000 permanent long-term care positions while incorporating Living Classrooms training in partnership with Sheridan College.
Read Original
