The Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region (RQHR) says eight residents have chosen to leave the long-term care home in Grenfell, Sask. amidst safety concerns in the building’s northeast wing.
Residents of the Grenfell & District Pioneer Home were told last week that the northeast wing would be closing due to significant infrastructure damage caused by outdated functional and operational systems.
READ MORE: 8 Grenfell, Sask. senior care home residents to be relocated due to infrastructure damage
Out of the 32 patients in the care home, nine are housed in the wing. Last week, RQHR said eight patients would be relocated to Broadview Centennial Lodge, located 27.8 kilometers away and Wolseley Memorial Integrated Health Centre, which is 26.4 km away from the Grenfell Pioneer Home.
Wolseley was set to reopen four previously closed beds in order to accommodate the move.
RQHR also said one patient will be moved to an empty room in the west wing.
The announcement prompted backlash from some residents and their families.
READ MORE: Seniors at Grenfell Pioneer Home upset over RQHR decision to move residents
On Tuesday, Lisa Thomson, an RQHR spokesperson, said individual meetings had been held with residents and families of the Grenfell Pioneer Home to discuss the moves.
“As a result of those meetings, eight residents have agreed to move to other facilities to be closer to home or family support,” Thomason said in the statement.
According to the health region, the residents who have chosen to leave will be moving to “five different facilities in total, located within RQHR and in other health regions, by their choice.”
RQHR said the residents will start moving by next week and the northeast wing will be left empty.
“No decision has been made at this time about the rest of the building,” Thomson said in the statement.
“We anticipate discussions will continue with the Ministry of Health over the coming months.”