Riel Roussopoulos
Valley Hospice repairs to take months because of construction supply delays | CBC News
The manager of a new hospice that was badly damaged in a December flood says it will be months before repairs are completed on the building in the Annapolis Valley.
Residents and staff were shocked when water started pouring into the right wing of the building on Dec. 19, just three months after the Kentville, N.S., home opened to great fanfare.
Fern Brydon, who runs the Valley Hospice for Nova Scotia Health, said there was “a good three inches” of water pooled on the floor from the flood.
“It was quite sad to see that happen to a new building, a fairly new building. But our focus that day was certainly making sure we got the patients out,” she said.
“We were blessed it was in the daytime, we were able to access EHS quickly and fire folks quickly.”
Within an hour, she said everyone was out of the building and moved into new spots at the Valley Regional Hospital next door.
The cause of the flood remains unknown.
Brydon does not know how much it will cost to repair the building. Insurance is handling the claim.
The problem now, she said, is getting supplies for the repairs to the hospice’s right wing.
“There’s a real issue in trying to get supplies and things right now in this time of COVID. That’s very challenging for us,” she said.
It’s unknown if anyone will be allowed to move back into the left wing of the building while the repairs continue on the other side.
In the meantime, Brydon said the residents are doing well at the hospital. They continue to have all the hospice staff at their side.
“The support system that they had here, we’ve been able to maintain over there,” she said. “So if they want something special for themselves for their meals, the food services staff is still doing that.”
She said two of the women are now sharing a room at the hospital, where they’ve bonded and become supports for each other.
“It’s kind of interesting that some good things can come out of bad experiences,” she said. “Yes, everybody would like to be back here in this environment, but they are really doing wonderful.”
Published at Wed, 03 Feb 2021 10:00:00 +0000
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