A sprinkler system will be installed at the Personal Care Home (PCH), but it will mean temporary inconvenience for tenants and their families.
The PCH is now at less than half its normal capacity, with new admissions temporarily halted and some tenants transferred to other care homes so the project can eventually proceed.
“First and foremost, the safety and security of our elders is a top priority,” said Glenn Hildebrand, spokesman for the Northern Health Region (NHR). “While we know there are disruptions and inconveniences, we have devised a plan that minimizes these as much as possible. That said, we acknowledge these disruptions can be stressful and frustrating. That is why we want to proceed as quickly and safely as possible so that we can repopulate all of our PCH beds as soon as possible in a sprinkler-equipped facility.”
The provincial government has pledged nearly $1.4 million to install sprinklers in the PCH. Speaking on Monday, Hildebrand did not know when the work would begin or when it would finish, but he expected to have that information soon.
The PCH currently has 12 of 30 beds occupied. Once the sprinkler tender is awarded, Hildebrand said those tenants will be relocated to the third floor of Flin Flon General Hospital so installation may proceed.
“PCH staff will move with the elders to provide services to them during this temporary measure,” he said. “Every effort has been made to minimize disruption to our elders’ lives.”
Until the work is complete, the NHR will use some medical beds at the hospital for elderly residents. As well, home care services are being “maximized” to keep residents who are waiting for a PCH bed in their own homes longer, Hildebrand said.
In addition to halting new admissions ahead of the installation, Hildebrand said a few PCH tenants were relocated to other facilities following consultation with them and their families.
One tenant was moved to The Pas, which was one of the tenant’s facilities of choice. Several others relocated
to Flin Flon’s Northern Lights Manor and one went to Snow Lake.
Provincial funding for the project followed a recommendation from Manitoba’s Office of the Fire Commissioner that all personal care homes include sprinkler systems. That suggestion came after a fire at a Quebec personal care home claimed the lives of 32 seniors.
“The safety, security and comfort of our elders remains a top priority for the egion,” said Hildebrand.
“Our PCH is more that just a facility to house our elders. It is their home and we want to ensure it meets their needs and those of the region as we deliver on the promise of our vision of Healthy People in a Healthy North.”
Flin Flon’s other personal care home, the Northern Lights Manor, already has sprinklers.
