More people in Prince George will have access to long-term care as Providence Living and Northern Health prepare to build a new care home with 200 beds.

“As people age, they need access to compassionate and dignified care,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “That’s why our government is expanding long-term care throughout the province, including in Prince George. Through our partnership with Providence Living, a new care home is coming to Prince George, which adds more long-term care beds to the community to ensure more seniors can stay in the community they love with the support they need.”

Providence and Northern Health have signed an agreement to build a long-term care home that will add 200 beds in Prince George at 6500 Southridge Ave. Providence, in partnership with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince George, is contributing the land. This is the first new long-term care facility to be built in Prince George in 15 years.

“Providing seniors access to dignified and compassionate care services in their home community is crucial to ensure seniors can continue to live connected and fulfilling lives,” said Harwinder Sandhu, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors Services for Long-Term Care. “This announcement will offer peace of mind to those in Prince George as more seniors will have access to high quality long-term care services. This demonstrates our government’s continued commitment to improving and strengthening seniors’ care throughout B.C.” 

Providence will build and operate the long-term care home in partnership with Northern Health. The first step will be the design phase followed by the procurement phase that will identify contractors for the design and construction, which is expected to start in fall 2024.

“Providence will work in close collaboration with Northern Health to bring to life a vision for long-term care that will utilize a world-class living environment alongside a unique style of care that is infused with compassion and tailored to the unique story of each resident,” said Mark Blandford, president and CEO, Providence. “Our new home will offer private rooms within a community setting where residents can enjoy everyday activities and interactions that respect their individuality and ensure each day is a day well lived.”

The main features of the new care home are expected to include:

• single-bed rooms with private washrooms;
• units designed in a resident household concept consisting of groupings of 12 rooms with social and recreational spaces found in a typical home, such as shared living and dining rooms;
• indoor and outdoor spaces for social and leisure activities for residents and family, as well as quiet rooms and private spaces;
• amenities for cooking meals on site;
• non-denominational space for worship, reflection and spiritual practice, including Indigenous ceremonial practices; and
• a staffing model that supports person-centred care and values seniors in care.

“This agreement marks a significant and exciting step in our work to bring much needed long-term care capacity to the North,” said Ciro Panessa, president and CEO, Northern Health. “I am grateful to Providence Living for their part in this partnership, and to our health-care and support workers across the North for the compassionate care they provide to seniors in our communities.”

Long-term care homes provide care for people with complex care needs who can no longer live safely and independently at home, and who require 24-hour nursing care through a range of services delivered by well-trained staff.

To meet growing demand over the past five years, government has invested approximately $2 billion to expand and improve quality care for seniors in British Columbia, including investments in primary care, home health, long-term care and assisted living.

Learn More:

For information about Providence Living, visit: https://providenceliving.ca/

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