Rehab centre to relocate some residents

Some long-term care residents at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre (WRC) are being asked to move as the facility takes on convalescent care beds from Extendicare Parkside and adds new ones.

Unit 3-3 at WRC currently has 32 beds and is home to 22 long-term care residents. With the health system seeing a growing need for convalescent care beds — which provide care for people as they recover after surgery or serious illness — the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) decided to convert the unit from long-term care to convalescent care.

Between 15 and 20 residents will be moved to other long-term care facilities because of the change, said Debbie Sinnett, the SHA'S executive director of continuing care, integrated and urban health in Regina.

“We've seen a marked increase in the number of convalescent care placement requirements for service. It has been the fastest growing area of need,” said Sinnett.

The SHA first asked the Ministry of Health for funding for more convalescent care beds a year ago. Funding for 12 new beds was provided and last spring the decision was made to switch the role of Unit 3-3, but the pandemic delayed the changes.

Extendicare Parkside was also home to 16 convalescent care beds, but as the long-term care facility “went through some transitions” through the winter, the SHA also decided to move these to WRC.

“As we've reduced beds (at Parkside), we took the opportunity to look at consolidating those services in one site where we could wrap a team of therapy services around that program and opted to provide that here at Wascana Rehab Centre,” Sinnett said.

That decision came before Parkside experienced a COVID -19 outbreak, which resulted in more than 200 infections and 38 resident deaths and led to the facility switching to two-bed instead of four-bed rooms. However, Sinnett did note the convalescent care beds would have had to be moved out of the facility now anyway with the drop in beds.

The 16 convalescent care beds coming from Parkside combined with the 12 new beds and four existing ones at WRC will keep Unit 3-3 at 32 beds. None of these will be used for people with COVID -19, since those patients remain in designated COVID-19 units in the hospitals.

All current WRC residents whose needs can be met in other facilities will be moved out over the next three months. Residents and their families will choose their new home, and Sinnett said reducing anxiety for residents during this transition is a top priority.

“We want to relieve the anxiety where we can, but we recognize change is difficult,” she said.

Sinnett is not concerned about reducing WRC'S long-term care capacity, saying capacity still exists at other long-term care facilities.

“The greatest pressure we have right now is our convalescent care,” she said.

We've seen a marked increase in the number of convalescent care placement requirements for service. It has been the fasted growing area of need.