NEW ASSISTED LIVING FOR SENIORS OPENS IN VANCOUVER

VANCOUVER – The Province is providing $30.2 million to Providence Health Care’s Honoria Conway, providing seniors and adults with disabilities with access to 68 new assisted living units that officially opened today.

“The provincial government is implementing housing solutions that make sense for seniors and people with disabilities,” said Rich Coleman, Minister of Housing and Social Development. “At Honoria Conway, residents will receive the care they need while keeping their independence and privacy.”

Honoria Conway provides 60 assisted living units for seniors and eight units for adults with disabilities. The assisted living homes are self-contained units with a 24-hour response system. Residents receive personal care services, such as recreational opportunities and assistance with medications, housekeeping, meals and laundry services.

Honoria Conway is located at the former St. Vincent’s Hospital site. The land is owned by the Catholic Charities, which is allowing Providence Health Care to use the property. The units are the first component of redeveloping the 7.5-acre site into an innovative “campus of care,” a model of senior care that will provide a range of care levels and services, enabling seniors to stay in their homes longer.

Vancouver Coastal Health is providing personal care and hospitality services for the 60 assisted living units, as well as support services for tenants in the eight units for adults with disabilities.

“With the opening of Honoria Conway, and the recent openings of Cedars at Beulah Gardens and Hofn Icelandic Harbour, I am pleased to say that Vancouver Coastal Health is close to reaching its goal of having nearly 1,000 assisted living units available across our region within the last five years,” said Ida Goodreau, president and CEO of Vancouver Coastal Health. “For many seniors, assisted living provides the appropriate amount of care they need to remain as independent and as healthy as possible.”

The City of Vancouver is expected to approve a grant to offset the development cost charges for the construction of the development.

“Vancouver’s seniors want to continue living independently in their communities, close to family and friends,” said Mayor Sam Sullivan, City of Vancouver. “By opening assisted living developments like Honoria Conway, we are ensuring that Vancouver remains an affordable and livable city at any age or care level.”

Honoria Conway is owned and operated by Providence Health Care, a care provider that operates 14 facilities throughout Greater Vancouver.

“Providence Health Care has a proud history of providing excellent service and support to meet the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of those we serve,” said Dianne Doyle, president and CEO, Providence Health Care. “Honoria Conway represents an important seed of commitment to our patients and residents. It symbolizes the legacy of our founding congregation of St. Vincent’s Heather towards the continued evolution of this site into an innovative future Campus of Care.”

The provincial government has met its commitment to provide 5,000 net-new residential care beds, assisted living units, supportive housing and home support and will surpass the commitment by the end of 2008.

The Province of British Columbia is committed to providing more than 4,000 affordable assisted living apartments for B.C. seniors and people with disabilities. To date, more than 3,900 have been allocated in communities across the province. Through the provincial housing strategy, Housing Matters BC, the Province is investing more than $400 million in shelters and affordable housing this year, more than three times as much as in 2001.

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Contact:

Rhonda Nguyen

BC Housing

604 439-4740

604 374-8301 (cell)

Anna Marie D'Angelo

Senior Media Relations Officer

Vancouver Coastal Health
604 708-5340

David Hurford

City of Vancouver

604 873-7410

Shaf Hussain

Providence Health Care

604 806-8566

1 backgrounder(s) attached.


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