Vancouver Coastal Health is planning ahead to ensure we meet the complex care needs of our aging population and provide new and expanded care homes that will be designed to enhance the quality of life for residents.

Further to this important goal, we are pleased to announce that VCH has signed agreements for six new and expanded residential care facilities, providing about 600 beds across the health authority, including 225 additional beds. The agreements are part of a $40-million, 10-year strategy that will see a significant number of the region’s residential care facilities rebuilt.

All of the rooms will be private, with ensuite washrooms. This will give residents more privacy and ensure best practices for infection control. Spaces will be brighter and hallways wider to better accommodate wheelchairs. Special care units will provide the safety and security required for residents with advanced dementia and challenging behaviours.

At an information session last night, a resident at Fraserview had the following reaction to the news: “Are you telling me that when we move, I’ll have my own room to myself and I can take a shower every night before bed if I want instead of once a week?”  

When the owner responded in the affirmative, she said “Hallelujah, this place is old and it’s time for a change . . . I used to have my own home and it was hard when I had to come into a facility – now it feels like I’ll be back home again. When will it be done? . . . I can’t wait.”

A long-term goal of the project is to provide more flexibility in terms of placing residents closer to their home community, since beds will be better distributed based on community needs. The number of direct care hours that residents receive from staff will also be increased under the terms of these agreements.

Negotiations are still underway for even more new or expanded facilities, and VCH expects to announce agreements for approximately 300 additional new beds for Vancouver later this year.

To date, we have signed agreements for the following new and expanded facilities, scheduled to open over the next two to four years:

Vancouver

• Point Grey Private Hospital – 58 beds (plus 26 private beds). Expansion of existing building. Completion scheduled for July 2018.

• Casa Mia Care Centre – 58 beds (plus 29 private beds)

An addition is also planned for the iconic Casa Mia mansion. The 1930s Spanish revival mansion will be preserved, with an addition for residents connected to the main house. Completion scheduled for December 2019.

Richmond

• Hamilton Village Care Centre – 135 beds. New facility in East Richmond. Completion scheduled for early 2019.

• Fraserview – 75 beds. Replacement and expansion of existing building in South Richmond. Completion scheduled for early 2020.

North Vancouver

• Creekstone Care Centre – 150 beds (plus 30 private beds). New facility on lower Mountain Highway. Completion scheduled for fall of 2018.

Sechelt

• Silverstone Care Centre – 125 (plus three private beds). New facility on Derby Road. Completion scheduled for the summer of 2018.

 

We are still two to four years away from residents moving to the new and renovated facilities. When we begin the transitions, VCH will discontinue contracts for a number of beds and/or facilities that no longer fully meet required standards for residential care. The changes will also impact staff in some VCH facilities, and are in no way a reflection on them or the quality of work that they provide to our residents. Our goal with this rejuvenation project is to create a better physical environment for residents to live in and to provide more beds in the community. We are working with the unions to develop labor adjustment plans and are committed to supporting staff during the transition.

The agreements were reached through procurement processes that began in the fall of 2014. As with all public procurement, this rigorous process was bound by strict confidentiality and conflict of interest procedures.

Today’s announcement is part of the biggest improvement of residential care facilities in the VCH-area in the past 50 years. We would like to thank everyone who has been working on and contributing to this project over the past several years, as well as those who will continue to be involved over the next few years as we work with our partners to ensure a smooth transition for residents to their new homes. Your hard work and commitment to our residents is commendable and appreciated.