Continuing Care Expansion sod Turning Ceremony
The Blood Tribe Department of Health held an official sod-turning ceremony to kick-start the construction phase for a vital 25-bed continuing care expansion in Standoff on Thursday morning.
The project responds directly to the community’s growing needs. It is designed to increase both capacity and the overall quality of assisted living and dementia-care services available on the Blood Reserve.
Along with the Blood Tribe Department of Health, Blood Tribe Chief and Council representatives, the Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services, and Alberta Health Services attended to witness this historic event: the first On-Reserve dementia care unit in Alberta.
“This day is the result of many years of hard work from many different Department of Health leaders, both past and present, former CEO Derrick Fox, and former Chief Charles Weasel Head; the list goes on,” said Kash Shade, CEO, Blood Tribe Department of Health.
Renate Good Striker, Kainai long-term care nurse manager, shared the importance of the new 25-bed expansion in bringing Blood Tribe elders back home, as many live off-reserve, to be with their families and be cared for on the Reserve.
“Today, too many of our elders reside in facilities far from home, physically separated from their heritage and traditions; culture is medicine.”
The new expansion unit will include 20 supportive living beds and 5 dementia beds. The apartment-style 3-story building will feature a cultural space, kitchen area, salon care, a secure dementia unit, administrative space, and a gathering space for families.
Funding contributions provided for the Continuing Care Expansion included $20.5 M from the Province and $3.5 M from the Blood Tribe Chief and Council.
The Kainai Continuing Care Centre will provide up to 50 beds once the expansion is completed. Construction is set to begin in the coming weeks, with a tentative completion date in spring 2028.
