North Okanagan

Photo: Contributed - IH Central

A new residential care facility is under construction in Lumby.

Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster was joined by representatives of inSite Housing, Hospitality & Health Services Inc., Interior Health, municipal officials, community members and health-care partners for a groundbreaking celebration at Monashee Mews.

Monashee Mews, a new residential care facility, is being built by inSite which won the contract for the 46 new publicly funded beds last year following a request for proposals from Interior Health.

Norman Embree, Interior Health Board Chair, says these new beds are part of a larger plan right across Interior Health.

“More than 500 residential beds are going up across Kamloops, the north, central and south Okanagan, Grand Forks and Invermere. These new facilities support our goal of delivering high quality care to our aging population.”

Monashee Mews will be located next door to the Lumby Health Centre and Monashee Place, a housing development for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities.

According to Carole Holmes, inSite President and CEO, the new facility will provide about 56 full and part time jobs in addition to construction related jobs.

"Making us one of the largest employers in Lumby.”

According to the 2011 Census, seniors represent 20 per cent of Lumby’s population. MLA Eric Foster says when it's important to have appropriate facilities and supports available when the population of the town is over the age of 65.

“Together with our recent announcement on planning the completion of the top two floors of Polson Tower, you can see we’re working hard to help relieve pressure on our hospitals by ensuring the right patient is in the right bed at the right time.”
 
It is estimated the facility will be complete and open by spring 2013.