Grand Manan finally gets a new nursing home

A a new $9-million nursing home will be built to replace Grand Manan Nursing Home. Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet made the announcement.

Doucet also announced $1 million in renovations to Campobello Lodge in Welshpool, Campobello Island; $595,000 in renovations to Fundy Nursing Home in Blacks Harbour; $1.2 million in renovations to Lincourt Manor in St. Stephen; and $3.6 million for an expansion and renovations to Passamaquoddy Lodge in St. Andrews.

"All of these nursing home projects are included in our capital and renewal and replacement plan to transform long-term care services in the province," Doucet said. "As part of our strategy, Be Independent Longer, we are making major investments in nursing home infrastructure to improve long-term-care facilities for seniors and to better meet the current and future needs of our aging population."

Doucet spoke on behalf of Minister of State for Seniors Cheryl Lavoie.

Construction of the new 30-bed nursing home on Grand Manan will begin in the spring of 2011 with completion scheduled for the summer of 2012. It is estimated the project will create 80 construction jobs.

"The new facility will take the place of an aging building, which has served the residents of Grand Manan very well," said Rob MacPherson, board chair, Grand Manan Nursing Home Inc. "The staff provides excellent care to the residents under less than ideal working conditions. The new building will address current shortcomings in accommodations and provide a better work environment. The sooner we get our new home done, the better."

The other projects will be carried out as they are planned and tendered in consultation with the Department of Supply and Services and the individual nursing homes.

Under the provincial government’s capital renewal and replacement plan, 11 nursing homes are being replaced with new facilities, and two other new nursing homes will be built in Neguac and Dieppe. Five nursing homes will undergo major additions; 31 will be renovated; and six will undergo minor repairs. The total investment will reach $400 million over the next five years.

All new facilities are expected to be completed by 2016-17. A total of 297 new beds will be created.

These new nursing home beds will be in addition to the 403 beds already being added to the long-term-care system, including the 216 beds opening in 2010 through a public-private-partnership.

Projects will be funded through bank loans to individual homes as authorized by Social Development. Cost recovery for new and upgraded facilities will be calculated into the provincial funding provided for nursing home services each year. The province does not own nursing homes. It funds 85 per cent of nursing home operations in New Brunswick, totalling more than $220 million annually.

The improvements will provide more spacious facilities, new equipment and better ventilation, improved quality of space and more privacy and personal space for nursing home residents.

All new nursing home projects will follow one design and construction model. Nursing homes operated by non-profit organizations will work with the provincial government in following the standardized model for each new facility. This consistent approach will allow for substantial savings in time, design and building costs. About 3,600 construction jobs will be created over several years.