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In early 2023, a group of Calgarians – including Bethany Care Society president and CEO Jennifer McCue and Zeidler Architecture partner Bill Mitchell – traveled to Amsterdam to tour the Hogeweyk care concept. The facility challenges traditional approaches to nursing homes by providing person-centered care – small-scale living in familiar surroundings – while focusing on maintaining the highest quality of life for people suffering from dementia.

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The trip helped inform the Zeidler design and care model for the new state-of-the-art Bethany nursing home that Graham Construction broke ground in the northeast Hounsfield Heights-Briar Hill neighborhood. Providing care in a new way, it will incorporate a small house model where each contains 14 bedrooms, with communal dining and living spaces having their own unique look.

Bethany Calgary, one of Alberta’s oldest health centers, has been serving families since its establishment on this site in 1945. The facility has undergone several renovations over the years, but the existing building no longer meets standards modern designs for healthcare environments.

“Over 20 years ago, we began planning for the eventual replacement of Bethany Calgary,” says McClure. And the registered nurse, armed with her Master of Science in health administration, has been heavily involved in that planning since joining Bethany 15 years ago as COO and in her current role over the 10 recent years.

Bethany began when five inspired Lutherans had a vision to create a home for people who could not live alone due to physical frailty, disability, chronic illness or family circumstances. They raised $10,000 to purchase a 4.75-acre site at the Riley Estate and built the first house to accommodate 19 guests.

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The new development is being built in the south-east corner of the existing site, ensuring there will be no disruption to residents or health system capacity. Funded in part by a $114 million commitment from the Government of Alberta, the care home for seniors and adults with disabilities will include 420 private continuing care rooms, ensuring every resident can enjoy their own bedroom and bathroom private.

Influenced by the Hogeweyk Dementia Village, Mitchell says the project design will set a new standard for long-term care in Alberta.

“The tiny house model will shape the future of senior living design, with a focus on enhancing the resident experience through more intimate living spaces coupled with themed community spaces at each floor. Working alongside Bethany Care, our aim was to create an environment that feels like a real home rather than an institutional space.

Designed as a 370,000 square foot building above a lower level parking garage, it has three levels with courtyards between them, backing into the hillside above a lower level parking garage. Formed with a central spine, the 14-bed houses have their own neighborhood character, creating a sense of individuality and warmth.

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Freedom of movement and recreational therapy are key to encouraging residents to leave their rooms more often to be with other people. Each floor will feature interactive spaces with different themes.

Residents, visitors and volunteers will have access to amenities such as a putting green on the easily recognizable sports field. Another will have music as their theme and the third will propose the use of a greenhouse. Other amenities include a movie theater, gym, games, and arts and crafts rooms. The ground floor will also house a cozy bistro where Aramark will provide coffee, muffins, and more.

McCue and his team are excited to finally see construction begin and anticipate the new nursing home opening in late fall 2027. Meanwhile, the Bethany Care Foundation will launch a capital campaign to raise 20 million additional dollars to complete the project.

Bethany currently owns and operates 11 care centers in Calgary and region, and owns and manages six affordable seniors housing buildings, as well as nine others on behalf of the provincial government.

Remarks :

Eric Horvath, Senior Vice President/Partner of National Investment Services at Colliers, and his team have a prime piece of land for sale in Springbank. The 151-acre Barnard Lands is close to the community of Harmony and provides easy access to Calgary via the nearby Trans-Canada Highway. ideal for country residential development.

David Parker appears regularly in the Herald. Read his columns online at calgaryherald.com/business. He can be contacted at 403-830-4622.

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