Residents transferred after floods
3.5 units closed at Grand View Manor
“We appreciate this is a difficult time for our residents to have to leave their home and for their families who are naturally concerned. We want to bring their loved ones back as soon as we can.” Menna MacIsaac Grand View Manor CEO
Two floods in two weeks have resulted in 84 of the 142 residents of a long-term care facility in South Berwick being moved to other locations.
Grand View Manor chief executive officers Menna MacIsaac said staff has been communicating with all families throughout the process and they are working as quickly as possible to do the needed repairs.
“We appreciate this is a difficult time for our residents to have to leave their home and for their families who are naturally concerned,” she said. “We want to bring their loved ones
back as soon as we can.”
The first flood occurred
Jan. 12 while the second happened on Jan. 26 in a different part of the complex. MacIsaac wouldn’t say how the floods occurred. She said 3.5 units have been temporarily closed due to the situation and confirmed no one was injured during either flood.
“We’ve been working very closely with the Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care and the (Nova Scotia) Health Authority to reallocate our residents so that they can be properly cared for during the disaster,” MacIsaac said.
Residents have been transferred to other long-term facilities, primarily in the Western Health Zone.
“The board and management of Grand View Manor want to acknowledge and thank administrators and their staff in the long-term care (LTC) sector for their immediate response in openly admitting residents into their facilities,” MacIsaac explained. “This is not due to additional empty beds in the system but rather that they are creating spaces in their facilities to enable care to be provided.”
Grand View Manor staff accompanied residents during the move to other facilities. Ambulances,
buses and vans were used to transport residents to their temporary accommodations. A truck was rented to move personal belongings.
MacIsaac said the South Berwick facility’s more fragile residents were kept there.
“There was a lot of thought that went into who would be transferred,” she said.
Some staff have been reallocated to work at other sites during the repairs.
Officials have been in to assess the fire alarm system, nurse call system, and lifts and the structural integrity of the building is sound, MacIsaac said.
She said they were very fortunate to have response crews on site within an hour of each flood to assess the damage and begin the restoration work. Construction crews are working seven days a week to reopen the damaged areas.
“We will reopen the facility in a phased approach upon completion of construction beginning in two to three weeks,” MacIsaac said on Jan. 28. “It is my feeling that the response to this disaster, by so many, is a reflection of Nova Scotians who are compassionate and committed with an immense sense of community.”
No estimate on what the repairs will cost was available Jan. 30.
A new facility to replace the existing one was announced in January 2021. At the time, it was estimated to cost $69 million.
MacIsaac said they need to finalize the design and hope to tender the project in the spring with construction beginning in the fall.