The Interior Health Authority has awarded the construction contract for the renovation of Deni House to Lauren Bros. Construction Ltd. of Williams Lake.
Construction is anticipated to begin this month and is expected to be complete by the fall.
The renovation work will include: redeveloping the current rooms into single and triple patient rooms; installing ceiling lifts over each residential bed; upgrading resident washrooms for handicap accessibility; replacing outdated nurse call and fire alarm systems; upgrading and/or repairing the central cooling and air handling systems; upgrading data and telephone lines for wireless capabilities and minor renovations to other areas of the facility.
The renovations are worth $1.9 million and are funded by the Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District.
Deni House will reopen with 28 new beds.
CCRHD chair Rick Mumford said in a news release, “Central Cariboo and Chilcotin seniors are anxiously awaiting the re-opening of Deni House and I know they will be pleased we are one step closer to that day.”
Of the 28 new beds, nine will be designated short-stay. Two of those are designated for palliative care with the remaining seven for convalescent and respite care.
The residential beds at Deni House were closed in 2007; that same year the Interior Health Authority opened 44 beds at the Willliams Lake Seniors Village. The facility will be operated by the IHA.