Residents of Scotia ARC to be Relocated

About 50 residents of Scotia Adult Residential Centre in Beaverbank, Halifax County, will be relocated to the Kings Adult Residential Centre in Waterville over the next couple of months.

They are the first to be relocated as part of the downsizing and subsequent closure of the Scotia Adult Residential Centre.

"We greatly appreciate the co-operation and efforts of the board of management of the Kings ARC in developing a plan to provide a new home for these residents," said Community Services Minister Peter Christie. "We have every confidence that Kings ARC will provide quality care for these residents."

Plans are also being developed to relocate the remaining residents. Some are anticipated to move into less structured settings, as determined through an individual assessment process.

The Kings Adult Residential Centre is licensed under the Homes for Special Care Act to provide residential accommodation, rehabilitation and support services to adults with mental disabilities. It is currently licensed for 43 beds as an adult residential centre and 72 beds as a regional rehabilitation centre. The number of adult residential centre beds will be expanded to accommodate this relocation.

The needs of each resident of Scotia ARC will be the primary consideration in the relocation. The two-year time frame for downsizing and closure allows for each resident to be assessed and moved to a setting that will provide an appropriate level of care. These decisions are always made with the best interests of the residents in mind.