Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) representatives met with seniors this week in Gibsons to discuss the St. Mary's Hospital expansion and the upcoming Christensen Village facility for seniors, in an effort to open communication.
VCH's director of acute, home and community care on the Coast, Brenda Langevin, said health care providers are working to make sure they communicate better with the seniors' community by being more visible and bringing people up-to-date on what's happening.
"We really do value what you have to say," Langevin told the crowd of over 60 seniors at Monday's Harmony Hall meeting.
She said the new Christensen Village assisted living facility, now under construction on Shaw Road in Gibsons, is a positive step. The facility will have 140 beds, including complex care, assisted living and cottages.
Paul Charron, director of mental health and addictions, is also working on helping with the transition to Christensen Village from Kiwanis care home, which is closing. The 39 residents of Kiwanis will have first priority in getting beds at the new facility, he said.
"We're trying to make that transition as smooth as possible for people," Charron said.
He recognizes the move is a major transition for people and said he is trying to keep people informed. VCH is arranging to move the Kiwanis residents' belongings for them.
The facility will be open to anyone who expresses an interest, including Shorncliffe and Totem Lodge residents, he said, but people on the Coast would be considered before someone from the elsewhere.
Valerie Gillies, an independent consultant for VCH, presented the St. Mary's Hospital expansion plans. The phase one expansion is expected to be complete in December, 2008, she said.
A few people raised complaints about the quality of the food in the facilities.
Langevin responded Sodexho, the company VCH contracts out to for food services, is in the middle of a labour dispute, but once resolved, she would discuss trying to improve the food quality.
"We have had complaints and we have tried to handle this," Langevin said.
Charron said the Good Samaritan Society, which will run Christensen Village, is considering possibly hiring their own cooking staff instead of contracting out. But either way, the food will be prepared on site, under the direction of a nutritionist, he added. In the cottages, residents can help out with meal preparation if they want.
Graham Wray of Harmony Hall Seniors and chair of the Seniors' Network Advisory Group (SNAG), opened and closed the discussion.
"We're very grateful to them for their new attitudes and their presence here today," Wray said.
He urged the crowd to come directly to the seniors groups with concerns if their points weren't getting across.
Bob Curry, a representative of SNAG, was in the audience. After the meeting, he said there are a lot of questions out in the seniors' community about what's happening. He said the presentation seemed to be well received.
