There may be a solution to the problems plaguing Cassellholme home for the aged. Photo by Jeff Turl.
Today, the Cassellholme Board of Management, the City of North Bay, Canadore College, and the North Bay Regional Health Centre signed a memorandum of understanding to look into the prospect of developing a new model of community long-term care.
In a news release, the board says the four institutions are actively exploring a fully-integrated “village living and learning centre”, a facility that would support a continuum of long-term care and create an academic learning centre to provide integrated health care services.
“Casselholme’s board is committed to redeveloping our long-term care facility,” said Dave Mendicino, Chair of Casselholme Board of Management. “We have been working diligently to identify other community partners to work towards a local solution. We are excited to be part of this unique idea that brings our younger population together with our aging seniors for quality care and enhanced quality of life.”
The development of the proposed multi-faceted intergenerational facility would include approximately 30,000-45,000 square feet of practical academic space, and up to 272 long-term care beds and close to 200 units for retirement accommodations.
“This innovative approach has the potential to meet the demands of a rapidly growing demographic with a continuum of care,” said George Burton, President and CEO of Canadore College. “Each partner brings unique organizational talents to the table, making for a strong collaboration. At Canadore we benefit by enhancing learning opportunities for our students in an interprofessional setting, which aligns perfectly with our applied learning philosophy.”
The project’s intent is to create a continuum of care, from a retirement living to seamlessly transitioning into a long-term care facility with more integrated services available to residents and patients.
“We are combining our efforts and intellect to improve access to care and patient flow across all components of the health system in our community,” said Paul Heinrich, President and CEO of the North Bay Regional Health Centre. “Together we get better at improving the patient, resident and student experience.”
“Entering into this MOU represents a great opportunity for our community to develop a truly unique and local solution involving a broad range of partners and services,” said Jerry Knox, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of North Bay. “Our collective efforts will always remain focused on developing a sustainable model to support a fully-integrated long-term care solution.”
All four parties are looking forward to prioritizing the exploration of creating a centre of excellence for retirement living, long-term care, community support services, seniors housing and academic studies to better serve the community.
