The Nanaimo Seniors Village will remain under Island Health care for another two months, after many issues reached a critical point in late 2019. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

Crisis care

Island Health to remain in charge of Nanaimo Seniors Village after ‘unprecedented’ number of issues

May 25, 2020 | 11:21 AM

NANAIMO — Care at a north Nanaimo seniors home will remain in the hands of Island Health.

Susan Abermann will continue as administrator at Nanaimo Seniors Village until the end of July. She was first installed in late 2019 to handle various operational shortfalls leading to poor staffing levels.

At the time, senior health director Mark Blandford said staffing issues led to an “extraordinary reduction in quality of care.”

Nearly 20 complaints were being investigated when Island Health took over the facility, including staffing, neglect and health safety.

Blandford told NanaimoNewsNOW the level of care at Nanaimo Seniors Village has since increased due to several key changes, such as leadership roles being filled and the budget being better utilized.

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“Establishing where the gaps were was key to moving forward,” Blandford said of what gains the administrator has made in six months.

A major issue going forward will be the hiring of Registered Nurses.

“Until those nurses are hired, they’ll be considered fairly crucial to continuing the process.”

A team of Island Health registered nurses were brought into Nanaimo Seniors Village in late 2019 to handle a 30-bed unit.

“They were certainly key to stabilizing the site, looking at key things like wound management which was a significant issue for the medical health officer earlier in 2019. Wound care has improved.”

Other issues still needing to be addressed is having those recently hired in leadership positions finish their probation and ensure everyone is trained on a care management software system.

A plan to hand the facility back to the operators is also being developed.

Nanaimo Seniors Village is owned by Pacific Reach Seniors Housing Management, formerly known as Retirement Concepts. Pacific Reach is owned by a Chinese insurance group.

Two other seniors’ facilities in Courtenay and Victoria owned by the same company were placed under control of Island Health for similar reasons late last year.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit