GANDER, N.L. – The cat was pretty much out of the bag when Premiere Dwight Ball took to the podium to announce the location for Gander’s new 60-bed long-term care facility on June 5, but the news still made for excited audience.
Flanked by Health Minister John Haggie and Advanced Education, Skills and Labour Minister Al Hawkins, the provincial government rolled out its plan.
The facility will be constructed along the Trans-Canada Highway, next to College of North Atlantic – 1 Magee Road.
It was one of three announcements surrounding long-term care in central Newfoundland. The new 60-bed facility in Grand Falls-Windsor will be situated on Scott Avenue, between Valley Road and the site of the former Abitibi Consolidated mill. A contract valued at approximately $600,000 to design a 20-bed protective care unit extension for the Dr. Hugh Twomey Health Centre in Botwood, meanwhile, has been awarded to Fougere Menchenton Architecture Inc.
A request for qualifications (RFQ) was issued earlier this year to establish a short list of private sector businesses interested in designing, building, financing and maintaining the new long-term care facilities in Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor. The short list of proponents and the request for proposals are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, according to an issued release.
Work will begin next year and a completion date has been set for 2021, stated the premier.
“It’s about improving the quality of life for our senior population,” Ball said. “I don’t think we can ever forget that it’s the seniors that laid the foundation for many of the benefits that we actually enjoy in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Furthermore, Haggie stated Gander’s location was selected to allow sufficient room for another long-term care home.
When the facility was first announced, November 2017, the request for proposals was being done so with the replacement of Lakeside Homes – built in the 1970s – in mind.
“We needed sufficient room, and the Department of Transportation and Works had the land, so it became the logical choice,” he said, adding the replacement of the Lakeside Homes will be as time and condition of the building allows.
The size of the land to be developed, wasn’t known at the announcement.
“But I know the other plots available in town were too small for both,” he said. “We could have got the 60 beds, but we couldn’t get the rest.”
Welcomed news
Delores Jones, NL 50+ Federation Director for Area 5 – Gander – Fogo Island, called the announcement welcomed news.
While information was sparse leading up to the announcement, Jones, says the addition of a new facility will provide peace of mind, not only for the patients, but for the families as well.
She said there are situations where people are placed into long-term care facilities outside of the area, but their family members remain in Gander.
“Having to go from your loved ones to a long-term place away, it adds that much more stress,” she said. “Their spouses or partners are probably up in years and not in a situation to travel every day… so it’s going to lift the burden of travel for some families.”
Gander Mayor Percy Farwell called it a needed investment.
“There is currently a shortage of long-term care beds, I’ve seen it myself over the last year, with family needing to avail of services that didn’t exist,” said Farwell.
“There’s a big need, and with an aging population we need support. You need appropriate places for long-term care, instead of occupying acute care beds and acute care staff who are needed to deal with other issues.”
Farwell is pleased with the location choice, and was encouraged to hear it was being developed with the future replacement of Lakeside Homes in mind.
“It should be a nice location and I’m sure it will be a nice design. I’m looking forward to it being built,” he said. “We appreciate the investment, it’s one thing to demand additional facilities and services, it’s another thing to be able to afford them and we realize that.”