THUNDER BAY -- After three months of delays, St. Joseph's Care Group is getting ready to re-open the original wing of the Hogarth Riverview Manor seniors home.
The 96-bed facility on Lillie Street has been expanded to 128 beds and it's re-opening next month should help reduce the capacity problems at Thunder Bay Regional and St. Joseph's Hospital.
The expansion of the Hogarth Riverview Manor will be complete by the end of the month according to St. Joseph's Care Group vice-president of infrastructure and planning Scott Potts.
Residents could be back in their homes by April.
The addition included 32 private rooms, two spas, multi-purpose activity rooms and dining rooms. It was expected to be finished no later than last December.
“We’ve had some delays just in some supply issues, some contractor scheduling delays, which are not unusual for this size of project,” Potts said.”
“The project overall is $100 million and it’s not unusual for a project that size to run into some problems.”
The three month delay hasn’t only had an effect on the residents of the long-term care facility, it’s also meant higher occupancy at local hospitals, and that’s something they are eager to see decrease.
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre executive vice-president Mark Henderson said it’s had a small effect…smaller than officials feared.
“It’s been a difficult few weeks since January, our capacity has been very high, but only a small part is actually due to the Hogarth Riverview Manor issues,” said Henderson.
“I looked up the figures and we actually have eight patients in the regional hospital awaiting Hogarth, and we have 16 patients waiting to go to St. Joe’s.”
Although many residents are enjoying life in the seven story version of Hogarth, there are some residents who are anxiously awaiting the completion of the expansion, so they can move back home.
(TBT News)
