Editor:
I’d like to address concerns expressed about Vancouver Coastal Health’s decision to sign a contract with the Trellis Group to build and operate a new residential care home in Sechelt (“Don’t follow U.K. example” and “VCH decision irresponsible,” both June 10).
We want to assure the community that 125 of the 128 beds in the new Silverstone Care Centre will remain publicly funded and will be accessed by seniors in the same way beds in Totem Lodge and Shorncliffe are currently. Not only will VCH continue to determine the placement of seniors in the new facility, our agreement with Trellis will also hold them to the same high standards of care we expect from ourselves. These seniors are still our clients. In addition, like any care home in B.C., Silverstone must meet residential care design and provincial licensing standards.
Silverstone will also give residents a much better physical space in which to live. Frail seniors will no longer be sharing a room with up to three others or trying to navigate a narrow hallway in a wheelchair.
Silverstone will be made up of several small “houses” within a single building, providing care for 16 residents, complete with dining room and lounge. All rooms will be single occupancy and will have their own private washroom. This “home and neighbourhood design” is a best practice in residential care design. It enhances residents’ dignity, privacy, care and sense of belonging while at the same time promoting companionship.
The comparison made to public-private partnerships in the U.K. does not apply to this project. It is not a P3.
For our staff, we will work with unions to develop transition plans. The Trellis Group will interview all staff who apply for positions at Silverstone.
Lauren Tindall, director, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Coastal Health
