Community care proposal gets community endorsement
Over 40 Tyne Valley and area residents gave overwhelming endorsement Tuesday night to a Stewart Memorial Hospital Foundation proposal to turn their former hospital building into a community care facility, once it ceases to be a manor. The building on the top of the hill in Tyne Valley had served as a hospital from 1951 until 2013 when it became a manor. Residents and staff are now preparing to relocate to a new manor which is nearing completion within viewing distance. Once that happens this fall, the old Stewart Memorial will become a government surplus building.
Thelma Phillips, secretary of the Stewart Memorial Hospital Foundation, told the organization’s annual meeting that the foundation has been working on a proposal to turn the building into a community care facility soon after it ceased being a hospital. Community members gave them a mandate at their 2014 annual meeting to continue working on a proposal. When the provincial government issued a call for proposals for the building this spring, the Stewart Memorial Foundation expressed its interest. Foundation chair, John Colwill, said they contacted 11 community care facilities from Crapaud west to discuss the demand for beds. Ken Montgomery said tewart Memorial is spacious, bright and solidly constructed but acknowledged it would require some renovations. He provided an estimate of $600,000, but stressed a new study would need to be carried out. Keith Milligan, who chaired Tuesday’s meeting, indicated the foundation would be applying for government funding to assist with the renovations if it is awarded the building. Foundation member, Donna MacKendrick, who ran the former Valley Lodge, a 12-bed community care facility, pointed to studies that suggest it takes at least 30 community care beds to be feasible. MacKendrick said the facility would be community-owned but run by a professional group, possibly a co-operative. She said the foundation is proposing at least 30 single rooms with private baths, providing Level 3 care on the upper level and Level 2 care on the lower level. Operating costs for a 30-bed facility were estimated at $720,000 including $540,000 in wages and benefits for 15 workers. “Fifteen jobs in an area like ours is a pretty impressive objective to work towards,” said Milligan. Revenues from community care beds were estimated at $740,000 including some government subsidization, which would be required. Milligan emphasized the importance of having such a facility in the community. “A community care facility not only has 15 people travelling to work each day but, also, all the people who come to visit their parents, the volunteers, etc., they create traffic in the community.” Gordon Wooder moved a motion, which got unanimous support, for the foundation to continue its efforts to obtain the former hospital building.