Island Health and H&H Total Care Services Inc. have partnered to bring a new residential care facility to Duncan.
The facility, which will be located on the corner of Beverly Street and York Road, will focus on improving seniors’ care capacity in the Cowichan Valley and on meeting the needs of complex care clients.
The new site will have 80 publicly funded beds and eight private, complex-care beds.
The units will be grouped together in neighbourhoods with a home-like design.
Each neighbourhood will have its own spa/bathing area, outdoor space, recreational area and quiet areas.
All units will be single occupancy with a private en suite bathroom that includes a sink, toilet and wheelchair-accessible shower.
One unit will be capable of caring for people with challenging behaviours who require a secure environment to meet their needs.
H&H has been creating senior living communities with “hamlets” in British Columbia and Alberta for more than 25 years.
The “hamlets” serve people with different care needs including seniors, dementia care and patients with acquired brain injuries.
Island Health has worked with H&H over the past few years to place patients with significant complex challenges when suitable space was not available on the Island.
The new site will be called The Hamlets at Duncan.
Construction will begin in March, 2018, and is expected to be ready for residents in November, 2019.
The original RFP for a new residential care facility was 40 to 60 initial beds with the capacity to add 20 future beds.
“When we looked at population growth rates in the Cowichan Valley and factored in construction costs and timelines, it was decided a larger centre from the onset offered greater value to the taxpayers who fund care and would better serve the community now and into the future,” said Tim Orr, Island Health’s director of residential services.