The shovels are in the ground, marking the launch of construction on an expansion to Mount Ida Mews residential care home – a project that will include the addition of 60 new beds for people with complex-care needs who can no longer live at home with supports.
“It’s always exciting to see a new health-care construction project begin – it signifies an important investment in care for the people of this community,” says Health Minister Adrian Dix. “Seniors are a priority for our government. These new residential care beds will support our commitment to provide safe, supportive and caring environments to the seniors who live in our communities.”
Debra Cannon, Interior Health board director, says IH is committed to expanding care options for seniors, and for people needing a higher level of care than they can receive at home with support.
“These 60 new beds will give people in the Salmon Arm region access to that care in a setting that is close to their home and families.”
Vantage Living Inc. (formerly known as inSite Housing, Hospitality & Health Services Inc.) has been awarded the contract to expand its current 72-bed residential care facility that opened in 2012 in Salmon Arm.
These 60 new beds will be opened in a second phase on the property, across the driveway from the original building. The new beds expected to open in winter 2018.
The services at Mount Ida Mews include personal care, such as assistance with activities of daily living and medication management, care for seniors in the mild to advanced stages of dementia and care for physically frail seniors.
“Vantage Living’s mission is to create vibrant communities that enable seniors to live healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives,” says Johann Burger, Vantage Living president. “We are proud to be opening phase two of Mount Ida Mews, and are excited to be breaking ground on this important investment in senior care in the Salmon Arm region.”
Interior Health currently has 5,836 residential care beds, providing 24/7 care and support for individuals with complex care needs who are no longer able to live at home independently or with supports. This includes frail and elderly individuals with chronic conditions, such as those with dementia, whose needs may change over time.
In response to an aging, more medically complex population, new beds will be opened in facilities with safe, home-like environments that are appropriate to care for dementia and other chronic conditions.
IH emphasizes that consideration must also be paid to cultural safety and First Nations engagement, something that is achieved through consultation with the local Indigenous community.
“In Mount Ida Mews, Vantage Living has created a beautiful facility with a care model that supports the needs of residents, and includes them, their families, and their local physicians and health-care team in care delivery planning,” says Cindy Kozak-Campbell, Interior Health’s executive director for Residential Services.
Interior Health provides a wide range of health-care services to more than 740,000 people living in the B.C. Interior. For more information, visit www.interiorhealth.ca, follow us on Twitter @Interior_Health, or like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InteriorHealth.