Health and Community Services
September 21, 2009
Protective Community Residences Officially Open in
Corner Brook
Four
new Protective Community Residences designed to
accommodate individuals with various forms of dementia
were officially opened in Corner Brook today. The
Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and
Labrador and MHA for Humber West, officially cut the
ribbon on the new residences along with Tony Genge,
Board Chair of Western Health, and Charles Pender, Mayor
of Corner Brook.
�These new residences are the first of their kind
providing this service in Eastern Canada and are
designed to promote independence, dignity and improved
quality of life for residents,� said Premier Williams.
�This is one step in our commitment to upgrade and
modernize long-term care homes across the province � a
commitment which has seen an investment of over $110
million. I have heard story after story of how happy and
comfortable residents are in their new homes, and I am
delighted to see the facilities first hand today.�
The Provincial Government invested $68.5 million to
construct the residences as well as a 236-bed long-term
care home at a separate site in Corner Brook which is
scheduled to open in the spring of 2010.
�We all want the best quality of life for our families,
our friends and ourselves,� said Minister Oram. �One
important factor in quality of life is living as
independently as possible with the appropriate level of
supports. That is the driving vision behind these
residences.�
Each residence can accommodate 10 residents with mild to
moderate dementia, with potential accommodation of 40
residents in total. The residences have the look and
feel of a home-like environment and are arranged to
encourage residents to carry on normal household
routines. They were designed based on a model of care
that has proven to be very successful in Alberta and
British Columbia.
�The impact of this new physical and psychosocial model
upon the lives of the residents and their families has
been remarkable,� said Tony Genge. �It is our belief
that this new model of care for Western Health and the
province as a whole will result in improved quality of
life for the people that we serve.�
�It is important as a society that we support older
adults and their right to make choices about their
future,� said Charles Pender. �The opening of this
facility provides yet another option for older adults to
live independently in a safe, secure and supervised
environment. I am delighted that the Provincial
Government and the community worked together to make
this project a reality as it will certainly help fulfill
a very specific community need.�
To be considered for the residences, individuals must
meet established criteria to ensure there is a good fit
between the resident and this care option.
This initiative is a part of the Provincial Government�s
commitment to update long-term care homes across the
province. Over $110 million has been invested in the
construction of three new long-term care homes in
Clarenville, Corner Brook and Happy Valley-Goose Bay,
which are all in various stages of completion. New
long-term care homes are also planned for Lewisporte,
Carbonear and St. John�s.
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2009
09 21
2:45 p.m.
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