THUNDER BAY - Patients waiting for long-term care will start moving into the transitional care unit at the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital site Monday.
The 26 beds at the St. Joseph's Care Group site are part of a $14 million announcement made by Ontario's Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Deb Matthews in March to help address gridlock at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
SJCG received $2.5 million to operate the transitional care unit for about two years. Once the Centre of Excellence for Integrated Seniors' Services, a 416 long-term care bed facility, is expected to be open.
Buckler said that project is on time and on budget and should be open by 2015.
"There's a long waiting list for people waiting to get into long-term care. We want to achieve some flow through the hospital bed system and so 26 people will be waiting here on a temporary basis," she said.
The transitional care unit at the LPH has undergone a facelift. Drywalling and fresh paint has gone up and the area has all new furnishings.
"There is a lot of space here and our clients should be quite comfortable while they are waiting for their choice of a long-term care bed," said Buckler.
The unit will also include a full health-care team of doctors, nurses, personal support workers, occupational and physical therapists as well as therapeutic recreationists.
In addition to the 26 beds at the LPH, the minister's announcement included 17 spaces at the former McKellar Hospital for seniors and people in need of care.
SJCG is looking to eventually close the LPH site after the CEISS is open and the organization's new mental health wing is added to the St. Joseph's Hospital site.
Buckler said requests for prequalification from general contractors is closing this week for the mental health wing and they will be looking to get the next necessary approvals on the project within a couple of months.
