Grove explores ideas for expansion

Posted Jan 26, 2012 By Derek Dunn

EMC News - "It takes a town to help a person grow old with grace."

That sentiment from Julie Bessant Pelech, who oversaw two public brainstorming meetings last week on possible expansion of the Grove Nursing Home, was at the heart of many suggestions.

New provincial standards will force the nursing home to expand and upgrade rooms, washroom facilities and other areas. But the changes can't be made in the existing building alone. Another will need to be built, likely attached to the existing one.

While Pelech, a consulting gerontologist, said she and nursing home management won't reduce the overall number of beds - most modern designs of such facilities puts the number at 32 per building - gaining new beds isn't simply a matter of pointing to a lengthy wait list.

It means taking about $25,000 per bed in funding from outside the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) to put in a county that is considered "overbedded" already, Pelech said.

"The Grove can't just go out and build more beds. There are only a certain number of licences available," she said. "The reality is Renfrew County is already overbedded. It's not evenly dispersed (most are at Miramichi Lodge in Pembroke), but getting more beds is not necessarily a slam dunk."

Then there is the political will. The Liberals ran and won the last election on keeping seniors in their homes as long as possible, not on building more nursing beds as the Conservatives and NDP promised.

But government recognizes building in pods of 32 is the new standard and will likely approve four new beds, according to Arnprior District Memorial Hospital and Grove CEO Eric Hanna and board chairman Jay Johnston.

Bed numbers aside, planners are looking for feedback on services the community may want. Many clients are in their late 80s, at lower income levels than would allow for staying at private nursing homes, and have high needs. About 80 per cent have some form of dementia.

Maintaining a balance between safety and creating a homey feel is important, Johnston said. But he will reserve commenting on specifics until the results of the meetings are discussed at an upcoming board meeting.

"It's about human lives and capital resources," Johnston said. "We can't be all things to all people."

However, the nursing home would like to attract more clients - possibly to the expanded day or overnight programs. When the larger rooms are created, would it be useful to also have:

- more nooks for private gatherings with family and friends,

- a seniors specific gymnasium,

- a spa,

- double rooms for couples,

- offices for specialties such as foot doctors and dentists,

- seniors' health clinics,

- seniors housing with enhanced services?

Pelech said modern nursing homes don't have space for the Grove's auditorium or the stand-alone chapel.

The auditorium will likely be converted to a seniors' centre, the dining room could be expanded to accommodate more wheelchairs and other attributes that reflect a population that is aging longer, but it is unclear if the chapel will stay.

"Clearly the Grove can't be the be-all and end-all," Pelech said. "(The expansion) will contribute to meeting the needs, not eradicate the problem."

However, Hanna left the door open for keeping both the auditorium and chapel, while maintaining that all ideas remain on the table.

Who or what organization would run the seniors' centre hasn't been explored, but the nursing home faces significant challenges if it wants to become something of a hub for elderly people in Arnprior.

First off, it is a nursing home, and as such many at the meetings said it is a place most people want to avoid. Nursing homes are seen as cold institutions where people go to die. Even staff at the Grove recognize the perception, though they try as much as they can to create a positive, uplifting atmosphere.

However, Hanna is quick to refer to it as a "multi-purpose" building offering a number of programs.

"It's more than 60 beds," Hanna said. "The Grove is a provider of care for seniors. It does respite, the day program, assisted living. It's a multi-purpose organization."

Another problem is location. Down near a wetland, with a forest on one side and the back of a subdivision on the other, any organizations that would consider running the seniors centre must know that low visibility would cause a challenge on the marketing front.

If the Grove project is selected, after the provincial program is made available again, it has to be ready to put shovels in the ground. Which is why public meetings were held last week.

But Pelech is careful to say it would be another five years or more before the renovations would be complete. She said every effort would be made to do the work as quickly as possible, knowing that if construction took two years - that might be the last two years of some clients' lives. And no one wants people disrupted that way.

Funding would have to come equally from the province, Grove debt-serving and through community fundraising.

Pelech asked those at the meetings what could be done to "rally the community"? Many said the community is feeling donor fatigue after raising money for the recent hospital renovations, but that Arnprior is known as a town that gives generously. The Grove itself was created and paid for by residents.

Findings from the meetings, which also included opinions from staff, will go to the board for consideration. Johnston said another round of public consultations will take place after that.

Anyone with suggestions is asked to contact Hanna at 613-623-3166.

derek.dunn@metroland.com