Dear CALTC Members,

We continue to review the recently released National AI Strategy to identify potential opportunities for the long-term care sector. As implementation details emerge, CALTC will engage with federal officials and key stakeholders to advocate for the inclusion of long-term care in future healthcare and innovation initiatives. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the draft letter regarding the Federal Plastics Registry. The letter has now been submitted, and a meeting with Environment and Climate Change Canada has been scheduled for next week. We look forward to discussing the unique operational realities of long-term care homes and ensuring the sector's concerns are considered as implementation plans move forward.

We have also been in contact with Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada regarding the Build Communities Strong Fund. An Expressions of Interest (EOI) process is currently open Expressions of Interest (EOI). The program is intended for shovel-ready projects and not-for-profit organizations in partnership with a public-sector entity, such as a provincial government are eligible. While this funding opportunity may not be suitable for all long-term care homes, it could be beneficial for some organizations, particularly as eligible projects include retrofits and climate adaptation initiatives. At this time, no additional information has been released regarding the Healthcare Infrastructure Fund. However, it is anticipated that funding will be administered through bilateral agreements with provincial governments. We will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as information becomes available.

The federal government is also conducting consultations through a survey on future immigration levels. CALTC will participate in the survey, drawing on the Association's Immigration Position Paper to inform our submission and ensure that the workforce needs of the long-term care sector are reflected. Members interested in participating can access the consultation here.

With the recent closure of the National Survey on the State of Long-Term Care in Canada, work has now begun on the analysis phase. I met with the research team this past week to review next steps, and I look forward to sharing preliminary findings with members in the near future.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone a wonderful National Long-Term Care Day this Saturday and thank you all for your leadership and daily contribution to the sector.

Sincerely,
Jodi

Dear CALTC Members,

The last few weeks have been busy with meetings, notably a follow-up with the CMHC representative studying whether the Mortgage and Loan Insurance Fund should be extended to LTC homes and under what conditions. Thank you to the CALTC members who provided jurisdictional infrastructure data; I was able to share this input during the meeting. I will stay in touch with CMHC and discuss next steps with the CALTC Board.

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister announced the National AI Strategy will be released next week. CALTC has actively advocated for LTC's inclusion in this strategy, and I will share any developments as they arise.

Additionally, I want to flag that last Friday and Saturday (May 22nd and 23rd) our email and website domain host was down. Operations are fully restored, but unfortunately, many of the emails sent or received during that window were permanently lost. If you sent me a message over those two days, please resend it so I don't miss it.

As a result of the technical issues and after speaking with our researcher, we have decided to keep the National Survey open until Sunday at midnight. I am also pleased to share that we received several submissions for the National LTC Day video, and I look forward to sharing it with you soon.

Sincerely,
Jodi

Dear CALTC Members,

Over the past few weeks, we launched the National Survey on Long-Term Care and are pleased to see responses continuing to come in from across the country. We will increase promotion through social media over the coming days to help reach homes that may not be affiliated with a CALTC member organization. We would greatly appreciate members sharing a reminder with their networks to complete the survey before it closes on May 29.

We are also continuing to seek video submissions for the National LTC Day compilation video. A member noted that some of the links in the member toolkit were not functioning correctly. The updated toolkit and the call for video submissions with working links can be found here. Please submit video responses through this form by May 19.

Last week, I met with a representative from the Vice-President’s Office at CMHC who is leading an assessment of the capital financing needs associated with long-term care home development, including current gaps and the potential role CMHC could play in supporting the sector. We are planning a follow-up meeting to continue these discussions. There was also interest expressed in convening a policy roundtable on this issue, and I look forward to sharing additional updates as this work progresses. It is encouraging to see CMHC engaging on long-term care infrastructure needs. This week, I met with the Policy Director from the Office of the Minister of Health. Our discussion covered several important issues, including long-term care infrastructure, workforce development, and the importance of ensuring long-term care is given specific consideration within Canada’s National AI Strategy.

As National Nursing Week comes to a close, I would also like to recognize and thank CALTC members who are nurses for your leadership and commitment to residents.

Finally, congratulations to the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes on a successful AGM and Conference. It was a pleasure to attend the opening ceremonies and connect with members and sector leaders at this event.

Sincerely,
Jodi