A major renovation is coming for the long-term care facility, Golden Manor, in Timmins.
It's an upgrade that is mandated by the province.
Hilda Bamford says she calls the Golden Manor home and her brother, Pat, visits daily.
They say everything there is great, but structural changes are coming.
Carol Halt is the administrator of Golden Manor.
"We're required to upgrade to 2015 design standards, which really is about creating a more home-like space for residents, improving some of the safety features in the home, such as sprinkler systems and emergency access, and those types of things." said Halt.
All long-term care homes in Ontario are divided into structural categories: A, B, or C, based on how old they are.
Within the next five years, all of the homes are expected to make improvements that will bring them up to the ‘A’ level.
The Golden Manor currently sits at the ‘B’ level.
Things such as accessibility, common living areas, and windows all have to be taken into consideration.
Board officials have come up with three options:
- Renovate the existing building
- Renovate and put on additions
- Or construct an entirely new building
They say any option is expensive, but government funding is expected to be available.
"Whether it's a huge renovation or a brand new building and how we can take advantage of the funds that are now being made available to homes that qualify and we're doing everything we can to make sure that we can qualify for as much as we can." said the home’s Board Chair, Michael Doody.
Last year, the idea of selling the Golden Manor to the private sector was discussed at Timmins City Council, but nothing came of that.
Board officials say that's because the provincial mandated upgrades would need to happen first, and they say the scope of those changes will have to be decided by the next city council.
