Niagara Health to close Welland long-term care home, licence expires June 2026

Niagara Health will not be renewing the operating licence for the long-term care home at the Welland Site. The licence expires in June 2026, which means the home will close once all residents have safely transitioned to new homes.

The Welland long-term care home has served Niagara seniors for more than 50 years and has been home to generations of residents, families and staff. While care will continue until the final resident has moved, the building no longer meets modern long-term care safety and accessibility standards. 

Niagara Health has a comprehensive transition plan in place and is working closely with the Ministry of Long-Term Care, Ontario Health, Ontario Health atHome and regional long-term care providers to support residents and families. 

“Our focus is on making sure residents and families feel supported and informed throughout this process,” said Simon Akinsulie, Executive Vice-President of Practice, Clinical Support and Chief Nursing Executive. “Care will continue in the home until every resident has successfully transitioned.”

The home will remain open and fully staffed throughout the transition period. No resident will be left behind. As of today, we have ceased admissions of new residents.

Niagara Health is also working with unions in accordance with collective agreements to support impacted staff.

While Niagara Health will no longer operate a long-term care home, there is always the potential for a long-term care home to be built on the Welland Site as a part of the future campus of care redevelopment. 

Niagara Health is one of a small number of hospitals in Ontario that operates a long-term care home. With Niagara Health’s broader capital infrastructure plan that includes the opening of the new South Niagara Hospital, renovations at the Welland Hospital and its future redevelopment, it is not practical or ideal for the hospital system to rebuild and operate the home. Residents are better served in facilities whose core focus and expertise is long-term care, while hospitals focus on delivering acute and specialized care.