A new housing development that provides a mix of affordable rental homes for seniors and homes for people who need on-side dementia care is now open in Vanderhoof.
The first-of-its-kind housing development is located at 2657 Church Ave and is called Parkview Place. It is a three-story building with 20 one-bedroom rental homes for seniors with low incomes.
A new licensed dementia care facility, named Aurora Homes, will operate out of the building's ground floor and provide an additional eight accessible studio units for patients, which will open later in 2022.
Residents will be supported in a home environment by a unique care program that is based on their needs. The homes feature new technologies that support dementia care, such as circadian rhythm lighting.
It will also ease the transition for independent seniors who are slowly losing cognitive function and may soon require additional support.
Parkview Place is the first building in B.C. to combine independent seniors housing with a licensed dementia care facility with 24-hour staffing.
"This new building will provide a significant supply of homes for vulnerable seniors and patients in Vanderhoof, allowing them to remain connected within their communities, while receiving the care they need," said David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing.
"I want to thank the many partners involved who helped us ensure seniors have safe and affordable housing, along with basic dignity and respect."
The project is a partnership between the province, through BC Housing, Northern Health, the District of Vanderhoof, Connexus Community Resources and the federal government, through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Connexus Community Resources will oversee day-to-day management of both Parkview Place and Aurora Homes, with Northern Health primary care teams providing eligibility assessments and specialized care.
"The District of Vanderhoof is incredibly thankful for the commitment of Northern Health and the Province of B.C. to fund this facility that is built with seniors' needs as the primary design goal,” said Gerry Thiessen, mayor of the District of Vanderhoof.
“We are thankful that both these organizations were willing to look outside of the box and build this much-needed facility that is the first of its kind in B.C. As a district, we were pleased to donate the property located in the centre of Vanderhoof, close to parks, shopping and a lot of activity."
The province, through BC Housing provided a grant of approximately $2.2 million for the 20 affordable homes for independent seniors, as well as approximately $177,000 in annual operating funding.
Northern Health provided approximately $2 million in funding for the eight dementia care units, as well as approximately $766,000 in annual operating funding and the District of Vanderhoof provided the land for Parkview Place, valued at approximately $150,000.
