Local dignitaries, residents and staff joined Golden Life Management and Interior Health in celebrating the official grand opening of 34 new residential care beds today at Ivy House at Columbia Garden Village on Wednesday, June 26.

“In addition to 34 publicly-funded beds that will meet the needs of seniors for years to come, the additional beds at Ivy House mean new permanent jobs for the area,” said Parliamentary Secretary to the Minster of Health for Seniors Linda Larson. “This is great news for the community and local families.”

The new residential care beds, in addition to the 55 existing independent living and eight assisted living suites, means the Golden Life Management facility now provides the full continuum of housing options for area seniors.

“Having supportive housing, assisted living and residential care options under one roof makes it easier for seniors to stay in one facility as their care needs change. It also creates more opportunity for couples to live in one location if their care needs are different from each other,” said IH Board Chair Norman Embree. “These beds are an excellent addition for Invermere.”

Golden Life Management’s partnerships with Interior Health, Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) and other partners enable hundreds of seniors to access innovative seniors housing, services and resources.

“We’re proud to create inviting warm places where seniors of all ages and abilities are enabled to live as independently as possible,” said Endre Lillejord, CEO of Golden Life. “Our focus is to develop communities with residential appeal that focus on the individual. By respecting individual differences, promoting individual choice and focusing on strength and wellness, we strive to enhance the quality of life for all seniors calling a Golden Life Village home.”

CBT supports efforts by the people of the Basin to create a legacy of social, economic, and environmental well-being and to achieve greater self-sufficiency for present and future generations.

“We are proud to be part of a project that has such a positive impact on seniors and community development in this region,” said Johnny Strilaeff, CBT Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer. “CBT has investments in eight seniors housing facilities in the Basin and the success of these investments can be attributed to working with such great partners.”

Interior Health awarded the contract for the new health authority funded residential care beds to Golden Life Management in May 2011 following a request for proposals. Residents began moving in to Ivy House on March 4.

With the addition of these new residential care beds and the existing 35 beds at Interior Health’s Columbia House site, Invermere has a total of 69 publicly-funded residential care beds.

Interior Health and Golden Life Management have partnered with CBT in the past to build assisted living and residential care villages in Cranbrook, Creston, Fernie, Kimberley, Trail, Castlegar, Nelson, and Fruitvale. Most recently Interior Health and Golden Life Management partnered on a care village in Grand Forks.

Lead image: District of Invermere Mayor Gerry Taft, Golden Life Management’s Chief Operating Officer Celeste Mullin, Columbia Basin Trust board member and Regional District of East Kootenay Electoral Area F director Wendy Booth, and Interior Health board member David Goldsmith celebrated the start of work in May 2012. One year later – Ivy House is open.

Interior Health

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