The first occupants of Mission's newest care facility will be arriving in less than a week.
On April 2, The Residence at Mission Memorial Hospital will open its doors to tenants of Abbotsford's Ebenezer Home. Pleasant View residents will join them the following week and everyone should be settled in by the end of the month. A ceremonial opening is being planned for June, said Fraser Health spokesperson Erin Labbe.
The Residence was built for $29.5 million and replaces MMH's extended health unit, Dr. Stuart Pavilion, which was closed in 2011. All residents were moved to Ebenezer at the time.
The Residence provides residential care to seniors with complex care needs, dementia, and citizens with acquired brain injury.
There are 190 private suites and five double occupancy suites for couples who want to stay together.
"The thought and vision of this building has been around recognizing people do better with private rooms," explained Liz Findlay, residential clinical director for Fraser East. "These are people's homes."
Each resident will have an activity plan and a meal plan developed to meet their needs.
The new three-storey, 28,000-sq.ft. facility will house complex care patients on the second and third floors in neighbourhoods reflecting the community of Mission. Hatzic, Ferndale, Dewdney and Deroche wings are located on the second floor, while the Stave area and Silverdale Respite Hotel are located on the top floor.
Each neighbourhood is secured and will have its own dining room, lounge and kitchen that can accommodate about 25 residents.
There are also four secure courtyards and six large secure balconies for residents to use.
Clients with acute brain injury (ABI), dementia and those needing bariatric treatments will occupy the first floor.
This is the first time Mission is offering care to ABI clients, said Findlay, adding brain injuries are usually sustained from accidents or strokes.
An adult day program for non-residents will also be available three days a week to give families and other caregivers a break. A 12-bed respite hotel is also located at the facility.
The new facility will employ about 200 people, including 12 registered nurses, 36 licensed practical nurses, 102 health care assistant and casual employees. All Fraser Health employees who transferred to Ebenezer from the former Dr. Stuart Pavilion will return to Mission to continue their employment. Current Pleasant View employees do not work for Fraser Health and will have to apply to work at The Residence.
"So far Fraser health has hired 36 Pleasant View employees — this accounts for more than half of Pleasant View's current staff," said Labbe, noting recruitment of additional staff for the new facility is ongoing.
The Residence and the Community Health Care Centre, which opened last summer, were developed as part of the Mission's campus of care by the Fraser Valley Regional Hospital District in 2008 in partnership with Fraser Health and the District of Mission.