Devonshire Care Centre

operational

Opportunity Across Canada, baby-boomers are aging such that they will require more comprehensive health care services. As life expectancy increases, aging-in-place— the idea individuals be allowed to age in their own homes as long as possible— is becoming important in order to reduce the strain on health care services. Capital Health, one of Alberta’s 17 regional health authorities, decided to use a P3 approach in 1999 in order to generate innovative design ideas for the Devonshire Care Centre, a nursing home with a variety of supportive living accommodations. Challenges Designing and building a nursing home with supportive housing that recognized the value of an aging-in-place community. Delivering the project under a tight timeline. Innovations Compared with traditional funding approaches to nursing homes in Alberta, which are financed entirely by the government to hospital-like standards, a P3 approach has allowed the government to build more than twice as many beds, more quickly, with available capital funds. Results Devonshire Care Centre opened in half the time required under a traditional procurement, with significant design innovations. The long-term care nursing home has 120 private rooms including accessible bathrooms and internet access. Capital Health’s aging-in-place communities include bungalows for independent living, apartments with help available for meals and housekeeping, supportive living accommodation, and long-term care homes, to help people live at home as long as possible and transition to long-term care smoothly when necessary. The layout provides a home-like environment, where residents get to know each other and their caregivers, promoting a sense of belonging and community. Amenities include a private family dining room, library, a gift shop, hair salon, chapel and a daycare to facilitate intergenerational communication. The project won the Alberta Award of Excellence in Housing (2004).

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