Minister of Health Services Kevin Falcon was joined today by Cariboo-Chilcotin Regional Hospital District Chair Rick Mumford and other guests to celebrate the planned reopening of Deni House.
“Reopening Deni House is something the community feels very strongly about and I want to commend MLA Donna Barnett on her commitment to this project. We are pleased to be working with the Regional Hospital District and Interior Health to make this a reality,” said Falcon. “The renovations and reopening of Deni House reflect our commitment to ensuring that we have the best residential supports in place for all B.C. seniors.”
Interior Health will reopen Deni House with 28 new beds following a commitment from the Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District (CCRHD) to fully fund the $1.89-million renovations required to reopen the top floor as a residential care facility. Interior Health will cover the annual operating costs, which are estimated at approximately $2 million. Construction is expected to be complete in the fall of next year.
“It is wonderful to see all parties come together to develop a solution that works for Williams Lake,” said Barnett. “I am absolutely committed to this community. It is very fulfilling to be able to share in this celebration today, and to recognize the hard work among those in the community over the last several years.”
Interior Health’s Request for Proposals for architectural and engineering services for design closed on Nov. 2 and the scoring committee will meet next week to review proposals and provide recommendations. The design process will follow, with user group meetings expected to commence next month. Following the design process, an Invitation for Bids will be initiated from a list of pre-qualified general contractors.
“We heard what our seniors were asking for, and are proud to be funding this very important project that will offer improved seniors care and facilities for our Cariboo and Chilcotin residents,” said Mumford. “Redevelopment of Deni House is another example of the CCRHD’s commitment in helping to provide the best in possible health care for our residents.”
Deni House has not been used for residential care beds since April 2007 and the necessary renovation work will include:
• Redeveloping the current series of rooms into new single, double and triple patient rooms.
• Ceiling lifts will be installed over each residential bed.
• Upgrades to resident washrooms for handicapped accessibility.
• Replacement of outdated nurse call and fire alarm systems.
• Upgrades and/or repair to the central cooling and air-handling systems.
• Upgrades to data and telephone lines for wireless capabilities.
• Minor renovations to other areas of the facility.
“As we began planning for additional residential beds in the area, the community through its elected officials initiated discussions about reopening Deni House,” explained Norman Embree, chair of Interior Health. “With a willing capital funding partner at the table, we felt this option was important to explore.”
The common area on the second floor of Deni House was renovated in 2007 for use by Adult Day Services. The Adult Day Services program will continue to operate at Deni House once renovations are complete and the program should not be impacted by the pending construction.
Of the 28 new beds, nine beds will be designated short-stay for respite and convalescent and will be located in the shared rooms, while one room will be designated for palliative care.
These beds are a welcome addition to further serve the needs of the region’s seniors. In 2007, Interior Health opened 44 beds at the new Williams Lake Seniors Village.
The Province’s investment in residential care and assisted living is expected to exceed $1.7 billion in 2010-11 – a 47 per cent increase since 2001. Since June 2001, the Province has opened 6,327 net-new beds and units and built a total of 13,780 new and replacement beds and units across B.C.
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