PUBLIC OWNERSHIP SAVES THE DAY
SHA to buy Regina Lutheran Home to prevent its closure

CBC
Fri, November 17, 2023

Residents and staff at Regina Lutheran Home will get to stay after the Saskatchewan Health Authority and provincial government stepped in to buy the home. (CBC News - image credit)

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is purchasing the Regina Lutheran Home from its operator, Eden Care Communities, allowing the care home to remain open.

Eden Care informed residents in September that it intended to shut the care home down as of April 2024. The SHA said last month it was not going to step in and buy the home, but would assist in relocating the 62 residents.

The impending closure and moving of residents prompted family members, the union representing staff and the Opposition NDP to hold a news conference in early October. Residents' families came to the legislature a few weeks later to tell their stories and lobby the government to intervene.

The SHA said it had decided not to purchase the Lutheran Home property because the building is at the end of its lifespan and would require "potentially significant repair work."

On Friday, the SHA announced that it would takeover the home with government support. Eden Care will continue to operate it until the transition is complete.

"After hearing from residents and families, I asked the Ministry of Health to work with the SHA to reconsider the viability of purchasing Regina Lutheran Home," said Seniors Minister Tim McLeod in a news release.

"After positive discussions with Eden Care, an agreement has been reached that will keep Regina Lutheran Home open."

The SHA told families in a letter it would contact those who have already moved out of the home and will offer them the chance to return if they wish.

Families told the media over the last month that the impending closure was stressful and would negatively impact the residents forced to leave.

Val Schalme's father and brother are residents at Regina Lutheran Home.

"We're very concerned that they won't end up together. They're very emotionally dependent upon each other. They need to be together, they need each other," Schalme said last month.

Val Schalme's elderly father and 60-year-old brother who has mental and physical disabilities, are currently residents at Regina Lutheran Home. She fears that they will be separated because of the move.

Val Schalme's elderly father and 60-year-old brother, who has mental and physical disabilities, are residents at Regina Lutheran Home. She spoke to the media in October about concerns that her family members could be separated. (CBC News)

"We recognize the stress the last few months may have put on you and you may still have many questions. As more details become known through this process, we are committed to keeping you updated," the SHA said in a letter to families.

McLeod, the seniors minister, said it was important to keep the home open while the government has committed to adding 600 long-term care beds in Regina.

"Keeping Regina Lutheran Home open will support the health-care system's ability to meet the need for long-term care in Regina while work to add more beds continues."