As Heide and fellow committee member Judy Swanson explained, the case was a necessary part of the project. They had to put it together to deal with all aspects of the complex. They had to have an idea of project timelines for each phase of the facility, costs, how many people would live there, etc. Worked on by consultant Gord Daman, it needs to be presented to Boissevain-Morton Council, the assisted living committee, the community, as well as Sunrise Credit Union.
“It has projected costs, how to cover them until we fill the building, when each phase will be complete,” Swanson explained. “This is why this takes so long. Every time you add a service, you have to have more information. Your costs have to be accurate. We’re going on history, not just grabbing numbers out of the air.”
Once this is done, and the project gets approval for funding, they can move on to requests for proposals, to get the contractor to start the actual work.
An assisted living project is sort of an in-between for seniors between living alone and in a personal care situation. They would have their own suites, and live semi-independently. They would have assistance and staff there all the time, as well as available services like meals and laundry. It allows seniors to have healthy meals and have companionship all in one place.
All aspects of the project are going forward. The facility will be located close by the Boissevain Health Centre on the south side of town. There are two lots there – one purchased by the municipality and one donated to assisted living by Ben and Ellen Martens. They have also requested two lots next door from Prairie Mountain Health. Swanson said the RHA has been very helpful and is supportive of the move, but must get permission from Manitoba Health, which is ongoing. Heide said they could have built the complex without the PMH land, but it would have been too far south from the health centre. As well, Swanson said they needed to be careful exactly where they placed the assisted living facility.
“Strategically, we wanted to make sure of this. We needed to think forward to the future of health care in the community.”
There is a reason for this. Swanson is also head of council for Boissevain-Morton and Heide a councillor. They are looking at developing something else in the future in that area, and need some space.
As Swanson explained, while working on assisted living, there was a move to also plan for something new. They are looking at putting a 24 bed memory care complex, and an 80 bed personal care unit in the same space, right on the health centre. Swanson said it was something they needed to work on while they were getting assisted living off the ground.
“We see assisted living as the first phase in this,” she stated. “I think it’s important for people to realize we are looking to the future here. We figured ‘why not let Prairie Mountain Health and the Province know we are looking at more phases?’ We’re looking at having an aging in place campus here.”
Some inspiration came from Niverville who has a very detailed facility for all ages. Heide said it is also something that will be needed in the community.
“This has evolved from what we talked about around the table,” Heide said. “Initially, we got together to replace Westview Lodge (a seniors’ home in Boissevain). That didn’t happen, but Westview is done, it has served its purpose. We haven’t given up and we want personal care in our town. This is more than a dream, that’s for sure.”
They do not make 30 bed homes any more, and memory care is a good way to serve the needs with those with dementia. With the sizes they are talking about, it could very well be a regional centre. At any rate, it is good to get the ideas out there.
“I think it is important for every community,” Swanson said, “to be bold enough to say, ‘our future is this’.”
The idea is for the assisted living committee to continue working on their facility, while council works on future phases. Swanson said both she and Heide were on a task force for rural health care that has been working on keeping voices in communities involved in health care decisions. This is part of it.
For now, phase one continues forging ahead. They figure the assisted living complex will cost about $8 million. Local fund-raising will pay for about 25% of that, while the rest will be mortgaged. Already they have raised $1.74 million. Swanson said this has made a big impression on others like PMH, who see it as a “flagship” of how to raise money for a project.
“We’re really proud of this community. People have really stepped up. They saw a need and they did step up.”
Fund-raising will continue into the future. When the facility is up and running, a board will continue doing so, helping to pay the mortgage, and perhaps creating a fund to help lower income people afford the rent. At this time, there are no plans to have ratepayers put anything into assisted living.
“We’re fulfilling our promises,” Heide said, “that we were not going to go to the taxpayers. At this point, we are committed to it.”
One change that has been made to the project is it is down from 36 suites to 35. This is because there was a greater desire to have two bedrooms suites over one bedroom. There are several different configurations, including number of bathrooms, but the majority are now two bedrooms. The lowest projected monthly rent for a one bedroom with one person is $1,995 a month.
The hope is they can get financing approved, have the contractor and building permit approved, and there’s a shovel in the ground by August. If they can get the structure up by freeze up, they can work on the inside in the winter. As for opening, neither Swanson nor Heide would commit to an exact date.
Overall, those involved from day one are happy to see the progress. As well, there is a hope the developments they have begun will have a positive impact on those upcoming.
“We understand change is going to happen,” Swanson explained, “but we want to have a part in that change. We want to have a say in this community. By putting this up, if the community could put up an $8 million building, it would make sense for the Province to say ‘this is a dedicated community’.”
“Putting this in the place it is, will be good for the future of that area.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff