Rent reduced for Riders, early budget items approved by Regina Council
7h ago
Council retroactively slashed $1.33 million in rent owed by the Roughriders.
A Regina care home at risk of closing will remain open, with the Saskatchewan Health Authority taking over.
According to the Ministry of Health, the health authority has reached an agreement with Eden Care Communities that will allow the Regina Lutheran Home to remain open.
Eden announced that it was planning to close the home earlier this year, leaving its 62 elderly residents and more than 100 staff members in limbo, wondering what would happen after the closure.
“Change at this age is very difficult,” continuing care assistant Darlene Gelewich, who’s worked at the home for nearly 40 years, explained in a previous interview.
“Moving a resident at this stage of life and changing routines is very stressful and often results in regression.”
According to the ministry, Eden will continue to operate the home on a transitional basis as ownership is moved to the health authority.
“Residents who have already found alternative placement will have the option to return,” the ministry said in a statement. “The Ministry of Health and the SHA are committed to working with staff and health care provider unions throughout the transition.”
Tim Mcleod, Saskatchewan’s minister for seniors, said the decision was made after hearing from residents and their families.
“It is important to maintain these 62 beds as we work toward adding 600 long-term care beds in Regina,” McLeod said in a statement.
“Keeping Regina Lutheran Home open will support the health care system’s ability to meet the need for long-term care in Regina while work to add more beds continues.”
The ministry noted that as part of its commitment to add 600 long-term beds to the Queen City, it recently issued a request for qualifications for a team to design and build a 240-bed specialized long-term care facility in the city.
According to Eden’s CEO Bill Pratt, the decision to close the home was due to a shift in services.
“We had to look at all our operations and decide where can we best fit in and what makes the most sense. The pandemic shone a spotlight on a lot of things. We made the decision that we’re going to shift our focus toward affordable and low-income housing for people living with disabilities, seniors and other individuals,” said Pratt.