Island Health has signed a project development agreement with Providence Living to build and operate a 156-bed dementia village in the Comox Valley.
The new facility will be built on the site of the existing The Views long-term care home and the former St. Joseph’s General Hospital, in Comox.
“As a resident of the Comox Valley for the past 30 years, I’ve seen the increased need for seniors’ care, and I’ve heard from people looking for choices in long term care homes to meet their specific holistic needs,” said Ronna Rae Leonard, parliamentary secretary for seniors and MLA for Courtenay-Comox. “This innovative dementia village will help seniors experiencing dementia continue to have a good and dignified quality of life.”
The announcement brings to fruition a vision first unveiled by Providence Residential & Community Care Services Society (former name of Providence Living), in January of 2019.
RELATED: Dementia village planned for former Comox hospital
The dementia village will feature 148 publicly-funded long-term care beds and eight publicly funded respite beds. Once completed, the dementia village will replace the existing beds at The Views long-term care home, which is on the existing site.
“We are very pleased to take this next step in fulfilling our mandate to provide innovative seniors care by building a long-term care home modeled on the concepts of a dementia village,” said Jane Murphy, president and CEO of Providence Living. “The Views at St. Joseph’s has a long history in Comox, and we are committed to seeking community input to ensure we best meet local needs. We look forward to continuing our work with Island Health to advance our shared goal of helping seniors in the Comox Valley live to their full potential.”
Island Health has said the medical laboratory situated in the main building of the former hospital will not be affected by the construction of the dementia village.
“There are not expected to be any changes to the building where the St. Joseph’s Satellite Laboratory is located until after completion of the new dementia village in approximately 2023,” said an Island health spokesperson in an email response to Black Press. “Island Health will review the needs of the community and available resources and make a decision about the future of that lab based on these factors closer to the completion of this project.”
North Island College is also currently using space at the former hospital, for its Health Care Assistant, and Early Childhood Care and Education programs. Officials at the college do not believe the project will interfere with their arrangement.
Main features of the dementia village will include:
• Small, self-contained households of 12 residents where each resident will have their own room and bathroom, leading to heightened infection control in a modern space
• A social model of resident-directed care for people with dementia
• Fostering free movement of people with dementia within a home and village setting
• Ensuring resident involvement in everyday activities within the household or the wider, secure village
• Focusing on individualized smaller groupings; cultural bonds, friendships, social activities
• Emphasizing daily life and sense of belonging – involving residents with food preparation, cooking, laundry
• Amenities for residents and community that include community gardens, child daycare, Island Health-funded adult day programs, and a community space, art studio, bistro and chapel
Construction of the dementia village is estimated to cost $52.6 million. Island Health will provide annual operational funding to meet the Province’s target of 3.36 direct care hours per resident day. Providence Living has already begun the redevelopment planning process, with a goal of starting construction in spring or summer 2021.
