NEW CAMPUS OF CARE FOR NORTH VANCOUVER SENIORS

VANCOUVER – Lynn Valley Care Centre, a new campus of care in North Vancouver, will provide 14 new assisted living units and 50 replacement residential care beds for seniors. The official opening was celebrated today.

“Seniors in our province, and our community, are asking for more choice in their housing and care options,” said the Honourable George Abbott, Minister of Health. “Lynn Valley Care Centre provides seniors the choice of staying in the community as their care needs change, to help maintain quality of life.”

The Assisted Living House at the Lynn Valley Care Centre is one of many new assisted living homes developed under the Independent Living BC program, providing a middle option for seniors who can no longer live independently, but do not want or need 24-hour residential care. These 14 new assisted living suites in North Vancouver will provide affordable alternatives for low-to-moderate income seniors.

“The Province is committed to the Pacific Leadership Agenda which means working with our partners to ensure seniors have access to safe, affordable housing in their own communities,” said North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA Katherine Whittred. “Lynn Valley Care Centre is a reflection of that commitment.”

“Seniors enjoy a better quality of life when their loved ones, family members and friends can remain on the same site, even if their levels of care are different,” added North Vancouver-Seymour MLA Daniel Jarvis. “This newly renovated facility of care will make that possible – and affordable – with options ranging from assisted living to more complex care.”

Lynn Valley Care Centre also includes two floors containing 50 residential care beds called Lynn Valley Manor. A second phase of the building is currently under construction, which will be connected to the Lynn Valley Care Centre through a walkway on each floor, providing 15 additional assisted living units and 12 additional residential care beds. The campus of care is owned and operated by North Shore Private Hospital, which operates another building on the same site. Lynn Valley Lodge includes 89 funded and three private-pay complex care beds, which will be attached to the second phase of the Lynn Valley Care Centre. Upon completion of the second phase of Lynn Valley Care Centre, the entire campus of care will provide 183 beds for seniors.

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is providing ongoing funding for the personal care services and hospitality services to ensure that tenants have access to the healthcare services they need to remain independent. In addition to their own private units, assisted living residents receive hospitality and personal care services, such as meals, housekeeping and laundry services, recreational opportunities, assistance with medications, and other care needs, including a 24-hour response system.

“The goal of a campus of care is to promote greater independence and support long-term care needs,” said Mary Ackenhusen, chief operating officer, VCH. “We are committed to improving access to care in all the communities we serve, and to offering seniors options to help them age in place.”

“The opening of the first phase of the Lynn Valley Care Centre campus of care marks the beginning of greater access to all levels of residential care and affordable seniors housing in our community,” said North Shore Private Hospital administrator Mehdi Sherkat. “The campus of care meets a long standing need for many of our North Shore seniors and we are gratified to see this become a reality.”

These new units are part of the British Columbia government’s commitment to provide 5,000 net-new residential care beds, assisted living units, and supportive housing with home support units by the end of 2008. To date, 8,494 new and replacement beds and units have been built, including 3,196 net-new.

The Province of British Columbia is committed to providing more than 4,000 affordable assisted living apartments for B.C. seniors and persons with disabilities. To date, more than 3,900 have been allocated in communities across the province. The Province’s budget for shelters and affordable housing is $328 million – nearly triple what it was in 2001.

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BACKGROUNDER
LYNN VALLEY CARE CENTRE

Lynn Valley Care Centre, at 1070 Lynn Valley Road in North Vancouver, provides 14 new assisted living suites for seniors and 50 replacement residential care beds, as part of a campus of care. The first phase of the development opened in March 2007.

The assisted living suites occupy the third and fourth floors of a five-storey building, while the residential care floors occupy the first and second floors. There are 12 one-bedroom suites and two studio suites of assisted living. All of the residential care units are studio suites.

The assisted living units are funded under the Independent Living BC program. Tenants pay 70 per cent of their after-tax income for their units and receive hospitality and personal care services, such as meals, housekeeping and laundry, recreational programs, assistance with medications, and other care needs, and a 24-hour response system. All of the units, including the 50 replacement residential care beds, were built according to Multi-level Care Guidelines.

Lynn Valley Care Centre is being built as a replacement for North Shore Private Hospital, which opened in 1969 on the same site. North Shore Private Hospital provided 50 residential care beds, which have been replaced in the first phase of Lynn Valley Care Centre. The second phase of the centre will add 12 residential care beds and 15 assisted living units, bringing the total to 29 assisted living units and 62 residential care beds within Lynn Valley Care Centre.

The two phases of the building will be joined through a walkway on each level. The centre will also adjoin an existing residential care building called Lynn Valley Lodge, which provides 92 complex care beds, 89 of which are funded through Vancouver Coastal Health. North Shore Private Hospital will operate the entire campus of care.


Partners and Funding

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Media contacts:

Renee Schisler
Corporate Communications
BC Housing
604-439-4757
604-375-1235 (cell)

Marisa Adair
Communications Director
Ministry of Health
250-920-8500 (cell)
250-951-1887 (media line)

Viviana Zanocco
Vancouver Coastal Health
604-708-5282

Mehdi Sherkat
Administrator
North Shore Private Hospital
604-988-0810

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