Kittens visited residents at Providence Living's dementia village-style care home in Comox and the plan is to have similar experiences for residents at the new 288-bed care home set for Quesnel.
In August, 2024 the B.C. government announced a new long-term care home based on the concepts of a dementia village will be coming to what is now Cariboo Field in Quesnel, opening around 2028. The Quesnel facility is to be built and operated by Providence Living which runs a similar facility in Comox and will be expanding to several other communities in B.C.
A partnership with Providence Living and a cat rescue organization brought kittens to spend time with seniors at their Comox facility, giving residents the chance to visit kittens and kittens the chance to socialize with people.
Other animal visits to the Comox facility have included therapy dogs, ducklings, goats and other furry and feathered friends who help connect with seniors and put a smile on their faces.
Providence Living says animal visits will be a staple at all of their facilities for residents who want them.
Kelley Romeril, Providence Living’s director of site operations, said in a news release that pet visits will, in some capacity, be part of every Providence Living build, including the new long-term care home that broke ground in Prince George last month and the facility in Quesnel set to begin construction in 2026.
“We will continue to foster relationships with community partners to support these types of opportunities and will make it a priority to find similar partnerships in other Providence Living communities,” said Romeril.
The animal visits are intended to bring joy to seniors, helping them feel more comfortable and happier while in care facilities.
In Quesnel, the facility will feature households each able to accommodate a dozen residents with their own bedroom and bathroom while the residents share common areas.
Long-term care homes provide care for people with complex-care needs who can no longer live safely and independently at home, and who require 24-hour supervision for a range of services delivered by well-trained staff.
