Interior Health has awarded the contract for 34 new residential beds in Invermere to Golden Life Management. Work on the expansion to Golden Life Management’s Columbia Garden Village is expected to begin in September, with completion estimated for the summer of 2012.
“I am very pleased that we’re one step closer to building new residential care beds in Invermere with the award of this contract,” said Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett. “These additional residential care beds are needed by our seniors, and by keeping families together we are building stronger communities.”
Cindy Kozak-Campbell, Residential Health Services Administrator Interior Health-East said, “These 34 new beds for Invermere will improve access times to residential beds in the community. The new beds bring the community up to 75 beds/1,000 population over the age of 75 standard that Interior Health holds. As well, Golden Life has experience with residential care, and is known for their quality care in a homelike environment.”
She went on to explain that the proposals were evaluated against a standard scoring tool which evaluated the Proponents Corporate Strength, Business Case, Land and Building and Program Delivery, and the one submitted by Golden Life received the most points during evaluation.
“Interior Health and Golden Life Management have worked together in the past to provide residents top quality care in a pleasant and home-like atmosphere,” said Norman Embree, Interior Health Board Chair. “With the signing of this contract we are continuing that partnership and commitment to residents.” Interior Health and Golden Life Management have partnered to build assisted and residential care villages in Invermere, Fernie, Cranbrook, Kimberley, Creston, Trail, Castlegar, Nelson, Fruitvale, and most recently in Grand Forks.
“The Golden Life Proposal provided evidence of strong corporate experience, appropriate land selection and construction methodology, an excellent care model and a solution affordable to the Authority,” said Kozak-Campbell.
“We are very excited to be working with Interior Health and the community of Invermere on the development of the new residential care beds. The expansion of Columbia Garden Village will continue to facilitate a professional team that delivers a high standard of service and care in a home-like environment,” said Golden Life Management’s CEO Endre Lillejord.
The expansion includes 34 Interior Health funded beds, one private care room and an underground heated parkade. Columbia Garden Village currently offers 63 rooms, with 55 classified as independent living and eight as assisted living. Invermere’s existing 35 residential care beds are located at Interior Health’s Columbia House residential care site next to the hospital.
To help bridge the community’s needs, Interior Health added 12 temporary residential care beds to the Invermere and District Hospital in December 2010. These beds will shift to the expanded Columbia Garden Village site upon opening.
“This will satisfy the need for residential beds for Invermere for the immediate future (based on population projections to 2013). Population ratios are always changing, and Interior Health is regularly reviewing population projections and planning for future capacity across the region,” Kozak-Campbell said.
The contract to build the 34 new beds announced is part of Interior Health’s December 2010 announcement that 527 new residential care beds will be developed across the health authority by 2013.