Parts of Comox’s old St. Joseph’s Hospital are being demolished to transform the site into a groundbreaking new long-term care facility..
The $52.6 million project is still on time and on budget for a 2024 completion, according to new Providence Living president and CEO, Candace Chartier.
Once opened, the new facility will be named Providence Living Place, Together by the Sea, and will feature special design components to accommodate persons living with dementia, but not limited to people with dementia.
“It’s a long-term care home based on the concepts of a dementia village,” explained said Chartier, who took over the president/CEO position in September. “If we say ‘dementia village’ then people think that it’s only for people with dementia, which is not the case. It’s (for) whatever seniors we need to support in the community - just like (The Views) right now.
“We are building what is believed to be B.C.’s first publicly funded long-term care home based on the concepts of a dementia village. We have been inspired by the dementia village in Hogewey, Netherlands. So the Comox village will have small self-contained households of 12 private rooms, each with their own bathrooms and a small group of staff that will be common to each household. So it’s based on the concept of a dementia village but … it will cater to every type of senior that requires assistance.”
Residents at The Views will get priority tenancy once the new facility opens.
“All of the current residents at The Views will transfer over to the new home,” said Chartier.
There are currently 156 residents at The Views, which is the number the new residence will accommodate.
“The project remains on schedule,” said Chartier. “We are going to break ground in 2022. Right now we are basically going out to tender, and we hope to have shovels in the ground by the spring.”
Providence has yet to determine what will happen to the current The Views building, once the new facility is complete.
ALSO: Providence aims to ‘revolutionize seniors care’ at Comox site
terry.farrell@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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