Ontario Expanding Access to Specialized Care for People Living with HIV/AIDS
October 25, 2017
Redeveloped Casey House to Offer New Programs and Services for More People
Ontario is helping more people with HIV/AIDS get the health care they need through a major redevelopment of Casey House, Canada's first and only free-standing hospital for people living with the disease. Premier Kathleen Wynne was joined today by people living with HIV and AIDS and staff in Toronto to celebrate the opening of the expansion, which includes the renovation of an existing heritage structure and the addition of a new state-of-the-art, four-storey facilty.
Two to three people are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS every day in Ontario, and the redeveloped Casey House will continue to provide care for people from around the province. The 58,000-square-foot building provides space for a new day-health program that will give 350 more people access to treatment through a combination of clinical services and community programs. This will more than double the number of people the hospital can serve, to a total of 650.
The expansion brings all Casey House programs and services under one roof. This will increase access to advanced care and provide a better overall experience for people who use the hospital, from crisis to end-of-life care. The new facility and programs will also enable more social interaction and give people living with HIV/AIDS the dignity they deserve -- reducing the isolation and stigma frequently associated with the disease, and improving people's overall health and quality of life.
At Casey House, people living with HIV/AIDS will have access to inter-professional teams, including nurses, mental health specialists, substance-use workers, massage therapists and other specialists in the new day-health program's therapy rooms and community space. People will also benefit from private inpatient beds, including respite beds offering 24-hour specialized support for those who need short-term intensive care.
Investing in quality health care for people living with HIV/AIDS is part of Ontario's plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.
QUICK FACTS
