January 13, 2016
Province Announces Tenders to be Issued for New Personal Care Homes in Lac du Bonnet, Winnipeg
Tenders will soon be issued for the construction of a new 80-bed personal care home in Lac du Bonnet and a 120-bed personal care home in east Winnipeg, Health Minister Sharon Blady announced today.
"We are committed to ensuring additional personal care home beds are available in communities across the province,” said Minister Blady. “I’m pleased work will soon be underway on these important projects, which will help reduce wait times for personal care home placement and ensure quality care for those who need it.”
The minister noted the new, 62,000-sq.-ft. facility in Lac Du Bonnet will replace the existing 30-bed personal care home and include a net increase of 50 beds, addressing a government commitment to increase the number of personal care home beds in the province.
“The personal care home in Lac du Bonnet will provide needed care to Winnipeg River district residents who want to remain close to home,” said Ron Van Denakker, chief executive officer, Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority. “In addition, the new care home offers numerous new employment opportunities for area residents. Now would be the time to consider a career in health care because we know we’ll be hiring.”
Twenty beds will be designated for people needing special care including individuals with moderate to severe behavioural issues and those with complex care needs.
The 120-bed facility in Winnipeg will be developed by Park Manor Personal Care Homes Inc. on its site at the corner of Kildare Avenue East and Redonda Street, and located next to the current 100-bed personal care home and the East Park Lodge independent living complex for seniors. In addition to having individual resident rooms with private washrooms, the facility will include space for recreational activities, family areas and landscaped outside grounds.
“We continue to look at improving health services across the continuum of care,” said Gina Trinidad, chief operating officer, long-term care, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. “In addition to enhancing services at home, we recognize the demand for more personal care home beds and applaud our partners across the city for their continued commitment to their community and more importantly, their response to addressing the needs of our growing aging population.”
The minister noted construction could start on a major 157-bed expansion to the Holy Family Home in north Winnipeg as early as in the spring of 2016 and that construction is progressing on a new 100-bed personal care home in Morden. Currently, there are 125 personal care homes in the province caring for more than 9,700 residents.
“We are committed to ensuring there are enough long-term care beds to meet the needs of Manitobans,” said Minister Blady. “Adding new spaces to the system supports the implementation of one of the seven areas of action outlined in our 2014 continuing care blueprint to enhance the long-term care system.”
For more information on Advancing Continuing Care: A Blueprint to Support System Changeand the work underway to implement changes to the continuing care programs in the health-care system, visit www.gov.mb.ca/health/blueprint.html.
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