In bittersweet news for the village of Néguac, N.B., the deadline arrived Friday to learn the immediate fate of two special care homes in the community. One has obtained a temporary licence to remain open, and the other has closed.
The home that will remain open is Villa Néguac, and it’s good news for the residents who had feared its fate.
Léo Savoie, 88, teared up as he recalled a day in late January when he and other residents of the Villa Néguac special care home were told they would need to leave in one month
“It made us really sad,” he told Global News in French on Thursday.
“We’re a family. We didn’t want to be separated,” he said.
In late January, the province announced it would be suspending the operating licences of Villa Néguac and nearby Foyer St-Bernard, another care home in the rural northern village, effective Feb. 17, declining to publicly state the reason.
Nurse Marc-André Vienneau, who has been working in long-care for 15 years, saw an opportunity and is in the process of purchasing Villa Néguac.
The province has issued him a temporary licence while the transaction is in process, saying all standards were met prior to issuing it.
That means Léo and the other residents can stay put.
“The care (of the residents) was not neglected. It’s not part of what was going on,” Vienneau said of the situation that led to the licence being suspended under the previous owner.
Global News attempted to reach previous owner Amarjeet Singh Jatana, who also owns Foyer St-Bernard, on Thursday and Friday.
“Residents were happy to see me for the first time when I announced the takeover and staff were happy as well,” Vienneau said.
He said the entire staff has stayed on.
“The new owner is excellent, he is a good man. We think things will go better now,” Savoie said of Vienneau.
Néguac mayor Georges Savoie said it’s important for the residents of Villa Néguac to stay in their community, close to family members.
“At first, I couldn’t believe that somebody would come up in the (span of a) month and put everything together to keep the home open, but we were lucky,” he said.
A buyer still hasn’t been found for the 23-bed Foyer St-Bernard.
A release from the Department of Social Development on Monday stated that the current owner “is still considering options for the future of the facility.”
All residents “have found suitable alternative living arrangements with the assistance of Social Development staff,” according to a representative for the Department.
Vienneau said some of the Foyer St-Bernard residents have been placed in Villa Néguac, but declined to say how many.
He expects the Villa will fill all of its 30 beds next month.
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