Funding Progress: 83% Complete ($2,075,000 Raised)
Thanks to our generous community of donors and volunteers, the campaign has received enough funding to support equipping and furnishing 79 beds of the 96 total needed!
Quick Overview
- Deep River & District Health is currently building a 96-Bed Long-Term Care Home to replace the existing 14-bed Four Seasons Lodge
- The new Four Seasons Lodge is anticipated welcome its first residents in 2027
- We need to raise a total $2.5M to support the project
Challenges In Our Community
Most people want to age at home, but sometimes it’s not possible. For individuals with complex care needs, limited access to home care, or those who live alone without support, long-term care (LTC) becomes the most viable option.
Long-term care homes provide a safe, dignified, comfortable place for people to live when remaining at home is no longer feasible. Sadly, in our area, the long-term care system is in crisis.
Bed Shortage
A key metric in evaluating long-term care needs in a community is the Population per LTC Bed Ratio. Our community only has 35 long-term care beds available, so there are 454 residents for each LTC bed. This ratio is significantly higher than in other communities of comparable size.
Today, the waitlist for the Four Seasons Lodge is 657% greater than the available space. There are just too few places to provide long-term care for people who need it in our area.
Long Wait Times
In Ontario, the median wait time for a long-term care bed is currently 126 days, but here in North Renfrew, we have waitlists that stretch from two to five years.
These aren’t just numbers, but people in our community. People who need care now are stuck in limbo. The longer people wait, the worse their physical and mental health can become.
When someone in our area finally gets a bed, it’s usually outside of the community, sometimes hours away.
Typically those who need LTC require it as quickly as possible. Imagine you need long-term care. You’re generally given up to five choices for your home.
Separated Families
When an appropriate bed becomes available in one of your chosen homes, you must decide to accept within 24 hours. In general, refusal of a bed offer means that your file will be closed and you’ll be removed from the waiting list for all of your chosen homes. You then must wait 12 weeks from the day you declined to reapply. Naturally, this makes it hard to say no to an offer, even when the bed is far away.
Here, that often means a spot in Pembroke or further away in Renfrew County—and now family and friends must travel 1.5 to 3-hours round trip to see you. Visits can be challenging, and over time, the bonds that make life meaningful start to strain due to distance.
Caregiver Burnout
With too few LTC beds, families and friends step up to care for their loved ones at home— but informal caregivers are struggling with stress, overwhelm, and burnout.
Last year, 42% of caregivers in Ontario reported experiencing distress, anger or depression in relation to their caregiving role, or were unable to continue their caregiving activities.
Caregivers in distress are putting in 39 hours a week on average for caregiving duties—a full-time job.
These people are holding on by a thread, trying to juggle caregiving with their own jobs, families, and personal lives.
The LTC availability crisis isn’t just for the people who need care, but for those who are struggling to provide it.
Stuck In Hospital
The long-term care situation has a ripple effect in our hospital. When people are stuck waiting for a spot in LTC, some end up in the hospital as Alternate Level of Care (ALC) patients even though they don’t need hospital care. At one point recently Deep River & District Health had up to 70% of its acute care beds occupied by ALC patients. Some of these patients wait for a year or even more for a long-term care bed, which leaves our hospital less capable of providing the care it was primarily designed to deliver. Nobody wants to be in the hospital longer than necessary; it’s a place of recovery, not a home.
Solution: New 96-Bed Long-Term Care Home
Deep River & District Health is building a 96-Bed Long-Term Care Home called the Four Seasons Lodge.
This 70,000 sq. ft. home will replace the current 14-bed home attached to the hospital, while keeping the same name, and is expected to welcome its first residents in 2027. The new Four Seasons Lodge will be located within the existing campus of care, which will help to integrate the home into the broader healthcare system, enabling residents to connect to the medical care they need with ease.
The new Four Seasons Lodge will increase the LTC capacity at DRDH by almost 7x, which will reduce local average LTC wait times significantly. Instead of having people spend lengthy periods of time in the hospital as Alternate Level of Care patients, we will now be able to settle more people with long-term care needs in a permanent home. This means a more efficient and effective health campus for all.
When the new Four Seasons Lodge is built, more people in our area won’t have to move far away when they require long-term care. More residents will get to live closer to a familiar community, near their families and friends.
No more long, stressful trips for so many people. No more being forced to move far away. Families will have peace of mind knowing their loved ones are receiving the care they need close to home.With more LTC beds available, fewer families will be faced with the challenges of extended informal caregiving at home. They will get the support they need. With the Four Seasons Lodge, caregivers will have greater peace, knowing their loved ones are receiving 24/7 care. More than $5 million per year in wages has been committed by the Ministry of Long-Term Care for staff. The Four Seasons Lodge will employ approx. 200 new people. This means the project will spark growth and investment for the future along with providing care for generations.
Your Support Is Still Needed
In early 2022, our health campus launched an all-hands on deck $2.5 million fundraising campaign called “Closer To Home”, the largest in the history of our community. This campaign was launched to supplement the funds provided by the Ministry of Long-Term Care for the new Four Seasons Lodge. Deep River & District Health is asking for an investment from the community to make this project viable.
Your Investment
Support is needed to purchase every piece of furniture and medical equipment in the home. This will cover things like the lounges where families will gather, medical and recreational equipment to ensure residents get the best care, and comfortable, accessible furniture for each room.
Since the $2.5 million goal hasn’t been reached yet, many resident rooms still don’t have furniture and equipment. Dining areas are missing tables for residents to eat. Family lounges are empty rooms without chairs or couches.You can play an important role in changing this through a donation to the Closer To Home campaign!
Join The Legacy Builders
This is your opportunity to be remembered in the Four Seasons Lodge for the lifetime of the home. We are creating a permanent recognition display in the lobby of the home to celebrate our donors. All who enter the Four Seasons Lodge will cross by the display with appreciation for those named. We will engrave the name of any donor who gives to the Closer To Home campaign starting from a minimum threshold (please contact us for more details). Donors may have their name, family name, or name of a loved one placed on a block according to their giving level. Certain donors may be honoured with naming privileges for rooms and spaces in the home, in addition to the permanent donor wall.
Please contact us for updated information.
Give Strategically
Many of our donors like to give in creative ways across multiple years through a gift agreement or “pledge” with the Foundation. We can discuss an arrangement that works for you and your unique situation and giving goals.
Give Without Cash
Publically traded shares, bonds, RRSPs, real estate and more—there are many creative ways to make an investment in the future of healthcare with the new Four Seasons Lodge. Several of our largest campaign gifts so far have been made in-kind through donation of publically traded shares.
On the back of this booklet you will find a form to make a gift or pledge toward the Closer To Home campaign. We hope you will take the time to fill this out. Thank you for reading this and considering a gift!
Would You Like To Discuss Your Gift?
“I’d love to answer your questions and help you support the project. You can call or email me to book an appointment. We can meet in your home, or at my office at 117 Banting Drive. Thanks for your interest!”
James Thompson
Community Engagement & Fundraising Coordinator
foundation@drdh.org
613-584-3333 x7140
Video Series
Make a Donation Today
Help Us Build The New Four Seasons Lodge!
Frequently Asked Questions
We receive many questions about the project and the Closer To Home campaign. Let’s answer a few of them:
Why Do We Need To Raise Money For This Project?
Deep River & District Health is responsible for funding the project upfront. The resources to accomplish this will come from Provincial Grants, debt financing and fundraising efforts. Once the home is in operation, the Ministry of Long-Term Care will provide a construction funding subsidy annually based on a pre-determined formula, not the cost of the home. The fundraising target of $2.5M was determined based on financing availability and the anticipated cost of the project.
Why Does My Donation Matter?
Your gift is an investment into the wider future of healthcare availability in our community—not just for long-term care, but for everyone. The home will contribute significantly to the economic prosperity of the area by providing 200 new jobs and $125M+ in direct wages to staff over 25 years and beyond. Your donation means that the project can be completed and the building can be sustainable for generations.
How Will My Donation Be Recognized?
All levels of giving are greatly appreciated and certainly make a difference in the success of the campaign. All gifts or pledges over $5,000 given prior to the opening date will be recognized on a permanent display in the new building, with tiers according to giving level.
What About Naming Or Dedication Opportunities?
There are a variety of options for a memorial or dedication plaque for either yourself or someone special to you.
Can I Purchase Something Specific For The Home?
Yes, there are a variety of designated giving options. Ask us about them!
Can I Make A Multi-Year Pledge?
Yes, we can arrange a giving schedule that suits you. If you wish to make a pledge, become a member of the Circle of Giving through automatic withdrawals from a chequing account or credit card on a monthly basis. If you wish to be listed on the permanent dedication plaque in the finished home, please discuss this prior to starting your membership to ensure you will meet the minimum $5,000 goal before the move-in date.
Will I Get A Tax Receipt?
Yes, you will receive a tax receipt for any donation above $20. Receipts will be mailed annually during tax season.
How Can I Volunteer?
There are many ways to help the Foundation. Please email foundation@drdh.org or call 613-584-3333 x7140.
Can I Reserve A Spot In The Home For Myself Or A Loved One?
Please visit healthcareathome.ca for more information about making a referral or joining the waitlist for long-term care.
What Will The Home Be Called?
The planned name is Four Seasons Lodge.
When Will The Home Be Finished?
The anticipated move-in date will be in 2026.
Will The Home Be Connected Physically To The Hospital?
There is no planned indoor connection to the Hospital at this time. The entire health campus will continue to share resources and work closely together.
What If I Have A Different Question?
We invite you to email your question to closertohome@drdh.org.
How Can I Donate?
You have several options. Please visit https://drdhfoundation.com/give or mail a cheque or cash to 117 Banting Drive, Deep River, ON K0J 1P0 with C/O DRDH Foundation on the envelope. Please make cheques out to the “Deep River & District Hospital Foundation” with memo: Closer To Home. Thank you!
