Specialized New Facility to Improve Care for Seniors With Dementia

On May 9th, Hon. Murray Coell, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands and Minister of Advanced Education, and Jac Mar, North Saanich Mayor, helped VIHA and Beacon Community Services break ground for Sluggett House, a new 16-unit dementia housing facility. Also on hand for the event was Larry Sluggett, representing the Sluggett family. The Sluggetts have been community leaders in Brentwood Bay since 1876. Their generous donation of the property at 7008 West Saanich Road includes a 94 year-old Baptist church, which will be incorporated into the design of the new facility.

Under a new model of seniors care dementia housing is an alternative to residential care when individuals with mild to moderate dementia can no longer manage in their home or in assisted living. Dementia housing is designed for elderly adults with dementia who are not medically complex, but who require a secure specialized setting and access to 24/7 care staff.   An estimated 300,000 Canadians are living with dementia, with more than 64,000 of those people living in BC. In the southern Vancouver Island area alone, approximately 30% of all seniors waitlisted for residential care are living with dementia.

The houses are intentionally kept small with 10 to 16 bedrooms and designed and furnished to create a comfortable home-like setting that encourages social interaction between residents. Accessible design features are incorporated to optimize resident mobility, independence and safety. Private bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms are furnished with the residents’ own furniture and personal possessions. Residents have freedom to move within a secure house and an aesthetically pleasing patio with garden. Home-cooked meals are prepared in the open kitchen and served family style in an attractive dining room located adjacent to the kitchen.