Government commits to personal care home in Oakbank

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This article was published 17/07/2023 (641 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Government of Manitoba recently made a commitment to build a personal care home in Oakbank that will house 96 seniors.

During an announcement made at the Niverville Heritage Centre, Seniors and Long-term Care Minister Scott Johnston announced the plan which will include five more personal care home sites: Arborg, Stonewall, Lac du Bonnet, and two in Winnipeg.

“When our government released the Provincial Seniors Strategy in February, we did so with a vison making Manitoba a great place to age. This means that Manitobans are impowered to live healthy productive lives in their communities. And I emphasize their communities and that their communities are supported to become more accessible, safe, and tailored to meet the needs of Manitobans as they age,” said Johnston.

“I know from listening to Manitobans that people want to age in their own homes or in their home residence within their communities as long as they possibly can. Our government is committed to introducing this to support this and will continue to work towards that goal.”

It will cost $15 million for the planning and design phase of the six personal care homes, which will house 670 beds in total. The personal care homes will be placed in campus or village model integrated with other uses depending on the needs as identified by the communities.

“We are pleased that the Manitoba government is making concrete investments to support the seniors strategy. As our population continues to age, more creative and accessible options are more necessary than ever and the announced communities for care are innovative and progressive in service delivery to our valued seniors, which will help them age in their respective communities,” said Sue Vivchuk, executive director for Long Term and Continuing Care Association of Manitoba.

Also announced was a pilot project that uses a community supportive living model. The model is a housing with supports approach, which offers affordable home-like spaces. The pilot will focus on adding 105 beds in first phase and ultimately 288 beds overall. The first phase will add beds for individual living in select communities in Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority, Prairie Mountain Health, and Southern Health.

In this new model there will be around the clock onsite staff for personal care home supports to meet scheduled and unscheduled care needs for residents including nursing for residents that require more care. There will also be onsite therapy and recreational supports as well as access to other health care professionals. The homes will be located in campus of care or village models which are affordable and safe, according to the minister.

“What we recognized was there needed to be a bridge between having to utilize the services of a personal care home as many of us will have to do as necessary, also too, those who are in independent living that need further care.

“So where is the bridge? This offers that bridge for seniors of Manitoba. Access to these new spaces will require assessment of individual health needs by the regional health authority and designated health authorities professionals. Clients will rent their suite and pay for a service package that includes meals, laundry and light housekeeping. Provincially standardized accommodations and service package rates and new subsidy assistance to make it more affordable,” said Johnston.