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Province to reconsider closing Red Deer’s two aging nursing homes

Alberta Health Services is revisiting its plans to shut down Valley Park Manor and Red Deer Nursing Home.

Alberta Health Services is revisiting its plans to shut down Valley Park Manor and Red Deer Nursing Home.

The two long-term care facilities are scheduled to close, with residents moving to Extendicare Canada’s new Michener Hill Village, which is expected to open in September.

Previous analysis showed it was more cost-effective to replace the facilities rather than renovate them.

But Seniors and Community Supports Minister Mary Anne Jablonski, also Red Deer North MLA, said the fate of the buildings is still under discussion.

“Right now (Alberta Health Services) is reconsidering what the decision was back then,” Jablonski said at a luncheon with seniors at Golden Circle Seniors Centre on Thursday.

She said one of the ideas floating around is to use them to provide sub-acute care for people who aren’t ready to come home from hospital, but don’t require the intense hospital care.

“I think there will be a powerful discussion about what will happens with those buildings. I just don’t know what the decision will be at this time.”

Valley Park Manor would need substantial renovations, she said.

Sam Denhaan, president of Central Alberta Council on Aging, said renovating just makes sense.

“When I have a leak in my roof I fix it, I don’t tear my house down,” said Denhaan who made sure to chat about seniors’ housing and health care with most of the nine MLAs at the luncheon, including seven provincial ministers.

The council is determined to stop the closures because Michener Hill, with 220 long-term care beds, will only add four more long-term care beds to Red Deer.

Michener Hill Village will also provide 60 more supportive living beds.

Red Deer Mayor Morris Flewwelling agreed closure should be reassessed in light of the need for more continuing care beds for seniors.

“While we might agree the facilities are not optimum, it’s better than no facility,” Flewwelling said.

The two-day provincial cabinet tour, which wrapped up on Thursday in Central Alberta, had MLAs on the run. They toured Olymel, Red Deer College, housing first project The Buffalo and Michener Centre. They met with Red Deer Public and Catholic school boards, Tourism Red Deer, and others.

MLAs also took part in a $10-million cheque presentation to Covenant Health to help build a new $25-million seniors facility in Red Deer that will provide 100 designated assisted living beds.

Last month, the province announced it’s putting $105 million towards 13 continuing care facilities to be completed or well underway within the next two years.

szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com