News

Back to all news

PWL Red Deer welcomes first resident to brand new building

May 26th, 2021

For the past 18 months, Points West Living Red Deer residents have been watching from their windows and balconies as a brand new building – the community’s Phase-2 expansion – took shape. This month, that bustle of building activity has been replaced by the arrival of new residents and employees.

The first resident

The first resident, Mary J. arrived on May 13th. Mary was welcomed by a gathering of employee care partners, who broke into applause as she cut the symbolic red ribbon to make her way to the reception desk. “We didn’t have an agenda,” says General Manager Tracy Elliott. “We had presents and pictures and clapping! Recreation did some decorating at the front door with flowers and balloons, and stickers for the front door. It was a semi spontaneous event. I think we did ok.”

As of May 25th, Mary has been joined by six other new residents. To give each new resident a chance to settle in a calm environment, Alberta Health Services has established a slow and steady rate of placement for Designated Supportive Living residents.

Levels of care provided

The new building's 150 suites are arranged into ten separate ‘cottage’ configurations of 15 suites, each clustered around a shared common kitchen, dining, and leisure area. The levels of care suites provided are: 60 SL4 (Supportive Living level 4), 30 SL4-Dementia, 45 Long Term Care, and 15 ALC.

What’s ALC (Alternative Levels of Care)?

PWL Red Deer is piloting a new Alberta Health Services care designation, Alternative Levels of Care (ALC). “Often when a senior is not well enough to go home to recover out of acute care,” Tracy explains, “or if they are sitting in a hospital bed awaiting placement through Home Care into the Supportive Living queue, they spend weeks, even months in hospital just waiting. We have taken on 15 of these positions to provide a transition from hospital to being placed in a supportive living community.”

The PWL Red Deer expansion has been planned since the original building opened in the summer of 2016, and adds 150 suites to bring the total number to 289. Earlier this spring, the original kitchen was reconfigured and expanded to double its capacity to serve the increased number of residents.

Photo: Mary J. arrives to gifts and applause as the first resident in the brand new 150-suite expansion of PWL Red Deer.

More photos at Flickr: PWL Red Deer welcomes first resident to brand new building

Back to all news

This news service is for and about you. If you have feedback, photos and story ideas you'd like to contribute, please email them to news@pointswestliving.com

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------