SAMARITAN PLACE — From left: Saskatoon Mayor Don Atchison, Saskatchewan Health Minister Don McMorris, Saskatoon Bishop Donald Bolen, Amicus chair Jean Mahoney and Saskatoon Health Region board chair Jim Rhode were on hand for a sod-turning ceremony that marked the beginning of construction for a unique long-term health care facility in Saskatoon. (Ledding photo)

Sod turned for unique long-term care facility

By Andréa Ledding

SASKATOON — The sod was turned Aug. 5 for an innovative 100-unit Catholic long-term care facility being built in the Stonebridge neighbourhood of southeast Saskatoon.

Samaritan Place is a project of the Catholic Health Ministry of Saskatchewan (CHMS), the organization created by the Catholic bishops of Saskatchewan as the owner-operator of nine other Catholic health care facilities in the province, including St. Paul’s Hospital and St. Ann’s Senior Citizen Village in Saskatoon. CHMS has created a wholly owned subsidiary, Amicus Health Care Inc., to govern and operate Samaritan Place.

The vision of the facility is to provide a home setting rather than an institution, with space for gardening and community building, and to develop a vibrant spiritual and religious care program. The new facility will provide Level 3 and 4 long-term care, and includes 56 individual living units, 24 designated for clients with dementia and 20 for pairings where one resident requires a higher level of care than his or her partner or family member.

Officials and government representatives at the sod-turning celebration included Saskatchewan Health Minister Don McMorris, Saskatoon Mayor Don Atchison and Saskatoon Bishop Donald Bolen.

“Samaritan Place and its model of resident-responsive accommodation is a Gospel-inspired and hope-filled initiative, promising to bring excellent health care and a wide range of services to its residents,” said Bolen, who led the gathering in prayer and blessed the ground during the ceremony.

“I’m most grateful to the Catholic Health Ministry of Saskatchewan and the Amicus Health Care Board for their work in guiding this project.”

With construction now underway, Samaritan Place is expected to open sometime in 2012. The project was initiated as a response to the growing need for long-term care as the population ages. Besides providing more beds and units for seniors in need of assisted living, there is a unique niche Samaritan Place intends to fill: 20 of the 100 units will permit a caregiver and the person needing care to stay together; this might be a husband and wife, siblings, or a parent and adult child.

“We saw a need for living spaces where only one person is in need of additional support and assistance, so that they can still remain together,” explained CHMS chair Paul Ellis.

CHMS worked with the Saskatoon Health Region and the province of Saskatchewan in launching the project and enlisted a local company to begin construction on the acquired property, which is just north of the growing Stonebridge neighbourhood homes and south of Circle Drive.

Dozens attended the ground-breaking event, staying afterwards to visit and enjoy the refreshments provided — foreshadowing the community spirit which the organizers hope will flourish in this new space.