Sisters of Charity Granted Licence to Operate Beds

The Department of Health today announced that the Sisters of Charity have been granted a licence to temporarily operate 15 long-term care beds at Mother Berchmans Centre in Halifax.

The centre will initially receive a three-month licence, the standard period for all newly licensed facilities, and will begin accepting residents this summer.

The beds are required at this time to help maintain an appropriate long-term care bed capacity within the metro Halifax area. Extensive renovations at Fairview Villa and Armview Estates have made it necessary for the facilities to reduce their capacity until spring of 2002.

"We greatly appreciate the co-operation the Sisters of Charity have shown in assisting our efforts to meet the demand for nursing-home beds," said Health Minister Jamie Muir. "This a mutually beneficial arrangement. The Sisters of Charity have expressed their interest in providing nursing-home care and the immediate availability of space and trained care-givers will allow us to ensure capacity within the system is maintained."

Parkland Estates, an assisted-living complex in Clayton Park with excess capacity, was also recently granted a temporary licence to operate 30 long-term care beds. The facility began admitting residents with light-care needs from sister facilities, Fairview Villa and Armview Estates, in April.

The province is working to address the present and future demands on the long-term care system by improving the policies surrounding the licensing and operation of such facilities. The role of the Sisters of Charity and other care providers in the future will be evaluated through this process.

"This partial licence is an important first step. However, our overall goal continues to be that all of Mother Berchmans Centre will be licenced, including subsidization for any of our sister residents that qualify," said Sister Evelyn Pollard, administrator of Mother Berchmans Centre.

The Sisters of Charity is among more than 50 organizations that have requested licences to operate long-term care beds over the past five years. To be certain that decisions related to long- term care are made fairly and in the best interests of Nova Scotians, the Department of Health struck an ad hoc committee earlier this year, including representatives from the long-term care sector.

The committee was asked to identify criteria that will ensure investments are made on the basis of sound policy and demonstrated need. An interim report was submitted in April and the group will provide more detailed recommendations in the coming weeks. The information will assist the department in strengthening its policies regarding long-term care infrastructure.

The province is also establishing a system whereby seniors and others can access continuing care services, such as home care and long-term care, through one contact point. The approach will ensure standardized assessment, making it easier for seniors, and others, to access services appropriate to their needs. A demonstration project will be held later this year and the new model will be in place by April of 2001.