A new long term care home is coming to Queens.

The province announced the new facility will replace Hillsview Acres and Queens Manor, increasing the number of available beds from 90 to 96.

Executive Director at Queens Manor Andrew MacVicar says the new facility will replace aging infrastructure that no longer meets the needs of the people living there.

“What I’m really excited about is to have a facility that matches the excellence of the people that work there and provide the residents with single rooms, single bathrooms, more space and state of the art accommodations that meet national standards for long term care,” said MacVicar.

A spokesperson from the Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care says costs are still be tabulated and won’t be finalized until the bidding process is complete.

A press release from Queens Manor estimates the cost of the final project will be in the neighbourhood of $50-million, funded solely by the province.

The number and severity of COVID-19 cases in long-term care facilities at the start of the pandemic demonstrated how residents are disproportionately affected by infectious outbreaks.

MacVicar says that has laid bare the need for better tools to prevent the spread of infectious disease in long term care facilities across the province.

“You’ve got staff who are taking all the right measures and putting all the measures in place to prevent the spread, but you’re doing it in an environment that isn’t giving you an advantage. What changes now is that the environment will match the measures that are put in place to prevent that infection from spreading,” said MacVicar.

The province has issued a request for proposals to find a project manager to lead the design and construction of the facility.

MacVicar says he will bring forward any ideas staff at the existing facilities may have about how to make the new build better.

“On any given day I’m sure somebody that works at Queens Manor, Hillsview Acres says, you know, if I was building a new Queens Manor this is what I’d do,” said MacVicar. “So, I want to hear those ideas from the staff and bring them to the design team as well.”

MacVicar says when the new facility opens its doors around the end of December 2024 it will be the culmination of many people’s efforts over many years.

“As a community, it’s a very exciting moment. I know that a lot of people have worked really hard on this over the years,” said MacVicar. “It’s exciting for everyone who’s put the hard work in. But lots of hard work now begins.

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