Flood forces relocation of Valley Hospice patients

The Annapolis Valley’s new palliative-care home is in need of some TLC sooner than expected after a flood Friday prompted the relocation of patients.

Six patients at Valley Hospice were safely moved to the nearby Valley Regional Hospital following the flood, according to a public service advisory from the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

“Staff at Valley Hospice accompanied the patients to their new temporary home, and will continue to care for them until they can return to the facility,” the advisory said.

“The cause and extent of damage to Valley Hospice from the flood is still being assessed, and a timetable for the patients’ return is currently undetermined. Nova Scotia Health understands this news may be unsettling for family members, but staff are making every effort to ensure the patients are well cared for during this disruption.”

Firefighters were called to the multimillion-dollar hospice adjacent to Valley Regional Hospital shortly after 3:30 p.m. Friday.

“Water was coming in from the ceiling in one wing, and we worked to stop the flow of water and assist with getting water out of the building,” said Ian Fairclough, a deputy chief with the Kentville Volunteer Fire Department.

Firefighters used brooms to help push the water out of the impacted hallways and rooms, said Fairclough, a Chronicle Herald journalist. “There was a fair bit,” he noted. EHS paramedics assisted with the temporary relocation of the patients, Fairclough said.

"Any time you have water flowing out of the ceiling, you have concerns about the electrical system, so for the time being, we had the hospice move them all to other locations.”

Maintenance staff from the hospital were called in for the cleanup and to investigate the cause of the leak.

The 10-bed hospice is the result of more than 20 years of advocacy work at the community level, and substantial fundraising efforts by the Valley Hospice Foundation. The facility, offering end-of-life care in a homelike setting, opened in mid-september.

ADRIAN JOHNSTONE Six residents of the new Valley Hospice in Kentville were temporarily relocated to the neighbouring Valley Regional Hospital on Friday afternoon following a flood.